[a fool in paradise]

Once we grant the government that kind of power in the doctor-patient relationship, I worry about how that will be used in other contexts (e.g., some Obamacare bureaucrat requiring that a doctor provide "end of life counseling" before a patient can have heart surgery, etc.).

You may find yourself only with government doctors who are not permitted to inform you that you CAN seek treatment for your illness rather than resigning yourself to an expected death in 6-8 months. "Take the painkiller rather than getting the surgery" is Obama's motto.

[Conscience of a Conservative]

You may find yourself only with government doctors who are not permitted to inform you that you CAN seek treatment for your illness rather than resigning yourself to an expected death in 6-8 months. "Take the painkiller rather than getting the surgery" is Obama's motto.

That too, exactly. The point is, we ought to be wary of expansions of government power, even for noble purposes (perhaps especially for noble purposes).