End-of-Life Counseling: Today's Special Comment by my 72-year-old friend

By GottaLaff

My very caring, impassioned 72-year-old Twitter pal, who goes by the name 42bkdodgr, would like to share his feelings about end-of-life counseling, and I am more than happy to oblige.

Take it away, 42bkdodgr:

In a previous comment I made reference to the 2003 Medicare Drug Bill. I noted there was a provision in the bill that provided end-of-life consultation. The basic difference between the 2003 Drug Bill and provision in Health Care Reform (HCR) currently being considered by Congress is this: The prior bill only covered consultations for terminal ill patients.

So I began to wonder, why all this fuss by Republicans about consultations in the proposed bill, and how they would somehow lead to “death panels”, or “pulling the plug on grandma”?

I went back to see how the 2003 Bill was passed in Congress. The bill passed in the House 216 – 215 and in the Senate 54- 44. In the House 92% of the Republican voted in favor, 82% voted in favor in the Senate.

Those Republications who voted in favor included such names as Rep. John Boehner; Sen. Johnny Isakson; Sen. Charles Grassley; Sen. Kyl; Sen. Orrin Hatch. All have been very vocal opponents to an end-of-life provision in HCR Bill.

Both the 2003 Drug Bill and the proposed HCR Bill cover (1) end-of-life issues and care options; (2) hospice care; (3) advance care management.

Therefore, I ask those Republicans still in congress from 2003 who voted in favor of such a provision: Why are you now totally rejecting a similar provision in the 2009 HCR Bill? What has changed? Do you even know that such an end-of life provision was in the 2003 Bill, or are you just doing this for political purposes? Why wasn't the inclusion of a provision in 2003 for terminal ill patients considered a government endorsement of euthanasia; yet now you say it is?

Republicans, you have a lot to answer for. It is obvious you are only doing this for political purposes, and want the HCR Bill to be President Obama’s “Waterloo”.

I have yet to see anyone in the media challenge the Republicans on their inconsistency regarding end-of-life provisions; I think it’s time for them to do so.

I do too. Thank you once again for a thoughtful, relevant, heartfelt piece, 42bkdodgr.