8/24/2009

Even the NY Times admits that rationing fears are "not entirely irrational"

So much for Obama's promises that the government will not ration health care. From the NY Times:

White House officials and Democrats in Congress say the fears of older Americans about possible rationing of health care are based on myths and falsehoods. But Medicare beneficiaries and insurance counselors say the concerns are not entirely irrational.

Bills now in Congress would squeeze savings out of Medicare, a lifeline for the elderly, on the assumption that doctors and hospitals can be more efficient.

President Obama has sold health care legislation to Congress and the country as a way to slow the growth of federal health spending, no less than as a way to regulate the insurance market and cover the uninsured.

Mr. Obama has also said Medicare and private insurers could improve care and save money by following advice from a new federal panel of medical experts on “what treatments work best.”

The zeal for cutting health costs, combined with proposals to compare the effectiveness of various treatments and to counsel seniors on end-of-life care, may explain why some people think the legislation is about rationing, which could affect access to the most expensive services in the final months of life.

“I don’t think we will get the quality of health care with this plan that we get now,” said James T. Aronis, 79, of Wichita, Kan. . . . .

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2 Comments:

Blogger Harry Schell said...

"...not entirely irrantional..." sounds still sounds like a denial that such concerns have any merit worth serious thought.

For an apologist rag like NYT, this means even they cannot deny the clear and obvious conclusion, the 95+% probability, that rationing will occur.

The horror stories will continue, but there will be no recourse when the panel deciding your fate is made up of civil "sevants".

8/25/2009 1:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Most folks in this country get their health insurance for "free" either through an employer-funded plan or Medicare. Most people don't see much of a problem with the current arrangement. And they certainly don't want any of this "free" insurance taken away.

As an aside, the Federal Government actually pays a chunk of private health insurance because payments made to an employer-supplied plan are not taxable income to an employee. In many cases, employees are clueless how much their health insurance actually costs each month.

Self-employed people can also deduct their health insurance payments from their Schedule C income as long as they make a profit.

8/25/2009 1:22 PM  

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