Even after tragedy, religious right still provoking the anger

I was going to write about something else this morning, something a bit more positive after Saturday's tragedy in Arizona.

But something caught my eye during my morning read:

'End-of-life options' = death panels

A healthcare expert says he's appalled at how the Obama administration tried to hide a Medicare regulation that would have had the government pay doctors to advise patients on end-of-life options during their annual visits.

Medicare coverage for voluntary end-of-life planning was put in the original House version of ObamaCare by Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), but was dropped after Sarah Palin and other Republicans raised the specter of "death panels" deciding the fate of vulnerable seniors. But the end-of-life counseling surfaced again right before Christmas in a Medicare regulation, nearly going unnoticed.

John R. Graham, director of healthcare studies at the Pacific Research Institute, explains what happened.

. . . "They try to keep things secret, hidden in the dark -- things that they know are obnoxious and repellent to many people," he laments. "And we've just got to keep on top of this because they're going to try and sneak it in again in the weeks and months to come."

Graham argues that while the Obama administration may not refer to "death panels," that is exactly what the administration wants.

That piece of repugnance is from the American Family Association's One News Now, a supposed Christian news service. The article is talking about - and giving an ugly slanted version - of the Obama Administration's decision to add a provision to Medicare regulations. From the New York Times:

Under the new policy, outlined in a Medicare regulation, the government will pay doctors who advise patients on options for end-of-life care, which may include advance directives to forgo aggressive life-sustaining treatment.

  . . . The final version of the health care legislation, signed into law by President Obama in March, authorized Medicare coverage of yearly physical examinations, or wellness visits. The new rule says Medicare will cover “voluntary advance care planning,” to discuss end-of-life treatment, as part of the annual visit.


Under the rule, doctors can provide information to patients on how to prepare an “advance directive,” stating how aggressively they wish to be treated if they are so sick that they cannot make health care decisions for themselves.

The reason why it was kept quiet because it was that provision which started a lot of controversy against the health care bill when Sarah Palin claimed that it would lead to "death panels" deciding who gets to live and who has to die. It was an ugly lie which received the PolitiFact Lie of the Year. It was also one of the main reason why there was so much unbridled anger during the health care town halls meetings in 2009.  :

I might also point out that One News Now doesn't even mention Arizona's tragedy in its news. But it does have the following items:

Will House repeal ObamaCare?

Oversight chairman just doing his job

ALIPAC: Napolitano must go

Media favors Dems, no matter the cost

One would think that this supposed Christian publication would have something about Arizona's tragedy and at least a word from a religious leader talking about how we can rely on our faith in God to get us through.

Instead, One News Now chose to peddle in more anger and more lies.

Just sad.