Posted on 02/19/2009 3:41:03 PM PST by wagglebee
Salem, OR (LifeNews.com) -- A new analysis finds that the Oregon Health Plan is perhaps the first government-run health care plan in the world to draw up official procedures for rationing. The plan ranks various surgeries and diseases and conditions in order of importance and places abortion high on the list.
Linda Gorman, a senior fellow with the Independence Institute, produced the analysis, which comes on the heels of concerns about similar rationing in the Congressional economic stimulus bill.
Gorman says Oregon officials made the rankings following public comment and used a scale to place them in order of priority from 1 to 680.
She says the order has changed over the years and she's perplexed as to the reasons for the new rankings, which appear to make little sense for patients.
"Surprisingly, between 2002 and 2009 there was a fairly radical reordering of priorities. That is, procedures that were in the middle of the pack in 2002 climbed to the top of the list in 2009, and vice versa," she writes.
"A great many life-saving procedures that ranked high in 2002, such as treatment for Type 1 diabetes, have been relegated to a much lower position in 2009, while procedures that are only tangentially related to life and death have climbed to the top," Gorman adds.
The change appears to focus on moving preventive care higher on the list and "the rapid and complete treatment of medically correctable problems and diseases" are now lower.
Surprisingly, abortions rank 41st on the list of 680 most important surgeries and conditions to consider.
That indicates "the state considers using public money for abortions more important than treating" other things, Gorman said.
Abortion is listed ahead of treating an ectopic pregnancy (43), sexually transmitted diseases (56), or an infection or hemorrhage resulting from a miscarriage (68).
Abortion also ranks ahead on the priority list before surgery to repair injured internal organs (88), a closed hip fracture (89), or a hernia showing symptoms of obstruction or strangulation (176).
Gorman blames the change in rankings and the priority of abortion on the priority list to the influence of interest groups, presumably those such as Planned Parenthood and NARAL.
"In 2002, when treatments through 566 were funded, there was far more emphasis on actual medical care and measurable interventions that save lives and improve individual functioning," she says. "Various interest groups have spent the last seven years reordering the political priorities embodied in the list."
"Before ceding control of health care rationing to government, Americans should consider the priorities of the political bodies in charge of health programs in Oregon and Britain," she concludes.
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I wonder how much money Oregon spends each year on condoms for school kids. They must be buying them from China if they also need to fund so much abortion.
And, you're right wagglebee....death is on the agenda for the Left, and it is always funded - preferably with the money of those who embrace life.
Can anyone point me to the complete ranking list?
This is vile and I am digusted to be a resident of Oregon. I am thankful I pay so little in taxes that I am not actually funding this atrocity.
“Preventive” - right! Preventing life, preventing birth. Above conditions that when treated will actually save lives.
(tax revolt....if they don’t have any money they can’t keep doing this ****...)
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I’m an Oregon resident, too, and am as disgusted as you are.
Just check my tagline...
Thanks for the post and ping!
I don’t think I’m on your Oregon ping list, can you add me?
Thanks!
Oh man. Ping to thread.
Right, insurance - when we figure out how much we’ve paid insurance companies over the years and what benefit we’ve derived (none), it’s sickening.
Here’s an interesting related thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2186266/posts
Starve The Beast (A FR Actvism Thread to Combat the Rape of the American Taxpayer)
This is the same group that denied cancer treatments for a few folks and then sent them letters telling them that they were eligible for doctor assisted suicide. It really is disgusting. It seems that liberals love death more than anything (except maybe taxes which they themselves don’t pay).
Guaranteed in socialized medicine:
AIDS treatment and abortions will not be subject to rationing.
Anything for the elderly or those with a “history” of medical ailments will be rationed.
It will get “darker” “as it was in the days of Noah” before the coming of the Son of Man...
let your light shine all the brighter in that darkness.
Of course. Furthermore, since most docs refuse to perform abortions, the feds will construct an “pregnancy termination technician” licensure, so that women can get abortions by lesser skilled folks on any street corner. The death crowd, the unions, and lib/dems will love the idea.
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