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One of my original posts on this:
Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

There is a terrible logic to (the Schiavo) situation. From what I have read, Schiavo is a test case of the Right to die movement (DIE) "to establish a legal precedent to end the lives of the disabled using hearsay evidence" ( http://www.lifenews.com/bio186.html ). Also, with the looming crisis in Social Security and the national health care debate, those cases of catastophic costs for certain people, e.g., the disabled, infirm, aged, handicapped, schizophrenic or otherwise mentally diseased, those who need transplants, etc., become targets of a synthesis of carrying capacity meets implementation of Marx's theory of abstract labor and the costs of care.

DIE has moved to redefine American consciousness according to a strategy enacted in three stages: "Professional Education, Institutional Change, and Public Engagement." ( http://home.earthlink.net/~joyinlife/ ) As part of this strategy, the religious element is problematic, and so, must be diffused with 'dignity therapy.' "Spirituality is consistently defined as a critical domain in end-of-life care; research on interventions to improve spiritual well-being is very limited. Preliminary evidence of a specific intervention—dignity therapy—shows positive outcomes for both the patient and family." In Terri Schiavo's case, the guardian's legal representation comes from DIE, as do the Schiavo doctors. Clearly, as she has been in a hospice for years, this having been petitioned since 1997, although she is not terminally ill Terri has been marked for death for some time. ( http://www.thedavidallenshow.com/topics/terrishiavo/20050228.somethingsfishy/20050228.lawschange )

That being said, in Florida, in 1999, food and water (hydration) was added to language of the law that defined artificial means. ( http://www.thedavidallenshow.com/topics/terrishiavo/20050228.somethingsfishy/20050228.lawschange ) DIE advocates using a combination of dehydration and morphine to promote death. ( http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=21770 ) This has cleared the way for other, more chilling recommendations to be made by 'experts.' Witness: In Florida's Interim report from the Panel for the Study on End of Life Care (1999), among the findings is the "Recommend(ation) that the Florida Legislature remove from F.S. 765 the requirement that a person be
“terminally ill” before life-prolonging procedures can be withheld or withdrawn. [1 dissenting vote]" ( http://www.thedavidallenshow.com/topics/terrishiavo/20050228.somethingsfishy/20050228.lawschange )

From the same website: "Research indicates that the cost of hospice care in Florida results in an overall savings of Medicare dollars; a Lewin study reports that Medicare saves $.52 for every dollar spent on hospice care." It really is all about the money. Welcome to the Gulag and the USSA.

The Studies:

See CRISIS IN HOME CARE:
Dismantling of the Medicare Home Health Benefit
http://www.nahc.org/NAHC/LegReg/Crisis/crisishh.html

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Important Questions for Hospice in the Next Century
http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/impques.htm

Thanks for all the links. They did not all work, but most did. Of interest especially were the medicare discussions. Many questions still remain, and certainly George Soros is clearly in favor of physician assisted suicide. But I found nothing indicating that the $45 million was spent for anything but grants to various organizations helping to make hospice patients more comfortable and providing better care.

It does appear that most states need to relook at this whole end of life issue, from living wills to hospice care, to the use of opiates, the powers of guardianship, and other related issues. Thanks again.