Vets told they’re going to die; oops, it was a mistake
Posted by Richard on August 24, 2009
Those of us opposed to government-controlled health care for everyone have pointed to the VA health care system as an example of what to expect — waste, fraud, abuse, inadequate care, and bureaucratic bungling. In the latest example of the latter, the VA erroneously notified 1200 veterans that they had ALS, or Lou Gherig's disease, which is fatal.
The letters to the 1200 were purportedly to inform them of benefits available to ALS patients. I can't help but wonder if one of the "benefits" they were offered was the "Your Life, Your Choices" workbook and associated counseling.
Hey, it's not a "death panel" — it's just a tool to help vets decide how to face their demise and whether they want to be a "burden for my family." No pressure — unless you consider "push-polling" feelings of helplessness and despair and laying a guilt trip on a vulnerable person in a stressful situation to be pressure.
The VA just wants to help vets with ALS decide what to do. If they decide to spare their families (and the VA budget) by getting out of the way now instead of waiting for their inevitable death, it's their choice, right?
Oh, wait, I forgot. They don't have ALS, and they're not going to die. It was all just a mistake. I hope none of them have completed the "Your Life, Your Choices" workbook yet…
Tabacco said
As opposed to Private Insurance, which denies coverage, denies payments as cost savings, overcharges 15-20% to profit their executives and investors. And you write as if our medical profession never made a wrong diagnosis. That’s why GOPers want Tort Reform: to limit judgments in all those malpractice suits!
And you have confused apples with oranges! A mistake by the “VA healthcare system” you refer to might imply VA healthcare has a problem, but that has nothing to do with government INSURANCE, which is cheaper, fairer, non-restrictive and all-inclusive while Private Insurance is NONE OF THE ABOVE! This Reform does not affect medical treatment! But Government Insurance, which is what we are discussing, will BENEFIT AMERICAN TAXPAYERS.
Your Post is deliberately MISLEADING. Is that because you cannot distinguish between HEALTHCARE & INSURANCE?
Or is it because, though you understand the difference, you deliberately MISINFORM YOUR READERS LIKE FOX & CONSERVATIVE TALK RADIO?
WHICH IS IT? Your Readers would like to know! Are you uninformed and incompetent, or are you a Sophist and Right-wing HACK?
Tabacco (Truth About Business And Congressional Crimes Organization)
rgcombs said
Whoa, Tabacco, such vitriol and hostility — you’re off-message! Didn’t you get the OFA talking points? You’re supposed to paint my side as angry and hateful, while portraying yourself as calm and reasonable.
And remember what Obama said — if we like our current insurance, we can keep it! You’re supposed to say no one will be forced into the “public option” (you’re not supposed to call it government insurance), and you’re supposed to use terms like “choice” and “competition.” Instead, you’ve let the cat out of the bag by suggesting that the “government insurance” will ”replace” private insurance (it will, but you’re not supposed to let on). No ACORN check for you!
But seriously, if you really believe “This Reform does not affect medical treatment,” then you haven’t read any of H.R.3200. I have (well, I skimmed the legalese and slowed down at the interesting parts, but I’ve gone through about 2/3 of the 1018 pages). And I assure you it most certainly ”’does”’ affect treatment. It spells out in excruciating detail exactly what each of the 4 “qualifying” plans covers (and compels everyone to have a “qualifying” plan), it sets up a bureaucracy to determine which treatments will be approved and which will be denied, it sets up criteria for hospital readmissions, … I could go on and on.
You’re either woefully ignorant of what you’re defending or you’re the one who’s deliberately misinforming people.
Read the bill!
Tabacco said
That’s not Healthcare! THAT’S INSURANCE, FOOL!
Tabacco said
If you’ve read 2/3 of bill and don’t understand that rules and regulations are INSURANCE and needles, pills, x-rays and those guys and dolls in white outfits are healthcare, then you should stop reading and blogging.
Don’t tell me what I’m supposed to REPEAT! Unlike you, I am not a PARROT! I THINK! “Instead, you’ve let the cat out of the bag by suggesting that the “government insurance” will replace private insurance (it will, but you’re not supposed to let on).” – If you are expecting euphemisms and BS from me, you came to the wrong place! You’d better read Sarah Palin, O’Reilly & Limbaugh if you want that.
Actually I’m beginning to like Public Option better than Single-Payer to start with because it will allow the people to see the differences between HMOs & Medicare! I’m sick of angry old ladies on TV, who love Medicare, but don’t want government in their Healthcare! Why don’t you explain to those morons that Medicare IS GOVERNMENT PROGRAM!
Also explain those medical lawsuits, which are the result of mismanaged healthcare, not insurance!
Finally, explain why we must GIVE $.15-.20 out of every Healthcare $1 to Insurance Companies & HMOs when government can do their job cheaper, more fairly & WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS & WITHOUT EXCLUSIONS! How deftly you avoid issues and focus on semantics!
NOW TO MAJOR ISSUE!
You avoided the distinction between Insurance RULES & Medical Treatment!
If you respond, don’t evade the issue – that took you 3 days to do? Now let me advise you! (No more clever misdirections such as Acorn.) GOPers are always cleverly sarcastically humorous when being evasive. That may work on your Readers, but that won’t dissuade me. I do have a strong mind and bulldog like focus. ANSWER THE CHARGES DIRECTLY!
I want to remove Private Insurance Companies from Healthcare ALTOGETHER as it used to be before Republicans turned Illness into DISASTER CAPITALISM! If we pass “Public Option” and people see how discriminatory and unfair HMOs (Insurance Company shills) are, 99% will flock to that government insurance on their own. That will rid us of the Insurance Vultures! Like public education, Medicare, Social Security, Military, NASA, and government (though barely), there are certain institutions too important to be left to the caprice and profit-motive of PRIVATE SECTOR!
Blinds & Shades were just recalled because 3 babies suffocated and died. That’s private, not government! I just saw that while writing this. For every government problem, I can name 100 worse privatized problems. Anyone, who dismisses private “problems”, has forgotten Tylenol tampering, Thalidomide babies and all the other “privatized problems”. Just last year we had that Mexican vegetable death problem Bush attempted to cover up.
We will discuss Acorn at another time; but that’s another GOP con game. Anyone interested can go to my blog, type “Acorn” in the Search Box and get the truth. Incidentally, nobody pays me to blog! How about you? Oh, I guess not! You do need nimbers to entice advertisers, don’t you!
I overstated the issue with “but that has NOTHING to do with government INSURANCE”! Your bilge made me mad as a hatter! No excuse, just explanation! But Insurance is still Insurance, not HEALTHCARE!
To finish, “it sets up a bureaucracy to determine which treatments will be approved and which will be denied, it sets up criteria for hospital readmissions, … I could go on and on.” – We already have Medicare, fool!
Even the yellers and screamers at Town Halls like Medicare, even though they think it’s NOT a government program! As to your going on and on, you wrote one word I had to apologize for “nothing”. All the rest of your rhetoric is propaganda! So spare your readers the “on and on”! They deserve better than an a) idiot or b) HMO shill!
Warmrest regards,
Truth About Business And Congressional Crimes Organization