Death Panels Could Kill Elderly Americans

August 12, 2009 - Death panels? Yes, the debate over healthcare reform has been reduced to talking about death panels that critics say will determine the life or death of elderly citizens. This morning, CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC all report on healthcare reform and President Obama's town hall meeting in Portsmouth, NH. Over the past week, all three networks have reported on the harsh and often misleading protests that have confronted members of congress at town hall meetings across the country. To credit the news networks, all three have made clear that nowhere in the legislation is there anything about death panels.

Look, agree or disagree with healthcare reform, debate is healthy and it is good for the country. However, much of the information being spread by protesters and opponents of healthcare reform is ignorant and misleading. Are citizens in this nation so lazy that they can't go out and do some actual research into the initiative? Do people really think a portion of the reform is designed to create death panels? Yes, in fact, we are going to reopen the Nuremberg Tribunal and put everyone over the age of 65 in front of it. There is plenty of debate to be had, but a suggestion for supporters and opponents, do some research, and of course, never believe a word coming out of Glenn Beck's mouth. The healthcare reform legislation is not a government takeover, they are not attempting to implement a system similar to the ones in Canada or Europe, and of course there will be NO death panels. The legislation is designed to provide healthcare for those who can't afford it and those who are denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. Oh, and the portion that is supposedly creating death panels...that's actually just coverage for counseling on things including living wills, hospice care, etc. For anyone who looks into it, the plan clearly has the right intentions, so lets stick to the facts and have a healthy debate about them.

I have been quite critical of the protesters of healthcare reform, but I am also disappointed in some of the supporters. Congresswoman, Nancy Pelosi has called the protests against reform, "un-American". I have many words that I would apply to some of the protests: ignorant, misinformed, misleading, to name a few, but protesting against the government or their policies is NEVER un-American. This country was built on the idea that if you disagree with the government and its policies then you stand up and protest against them. Freedom of speech is one of, if not the most important right we possess as citizens of the United States and it is disheartening to see a leader from Capitol Hill speak out against it.

Now that we have cleared up a few of the misconceptions and acknowledged that debate and protest is a healthy part of this process, lets look at the real issues facing healthcare reform. How are we going to pay to insure the thousands of currently uninsured Americans? It is difficult to comprehend the extent of our country's deficit and common sense would question the ability to pay for this reform. President Obama cites the need to cut costs in an effort to clean up an inefficient system while shifting our focus to preventive instead of responsive care as the keys to paying for this reform. That sounds good in a speech and looks nice on paper, but is it realistic? Second, critics talk about the disastrous crisis we will have when we place government bureaucrats between citizens and their healthcare. Well, it already is a crisis, because under the current system, we have healthcare companies standing between us and our coverage. Look at it from this angle; healthcare companies are interested in one thing, their bottom line. Companies do not profit when they provide you with care, they profit when they don't cover you, but collect your premium anyways. So they come up with excuses to deny you coverage: pre-existing conditions, experimental treatments, etc. The reform is designed to provide a balance for the system in an effort to prevent private healthcare companies from continuing these unethical practices. Reform is necessary to the health of our country and its' citizens. If we can figure out a feasible way to pay for healthcare reform then it is time to get it done.

Again, we may not agree, but debate is healthy and the resolution of our differences is the way forward. I welcome any constructive discussion, so tell me what you think of the News to Me. Email me your feedback to: itsthenewstome@gmail.com.