Posted on 07/23/2009 2:03:06 PM PDT by jazusamo
Since Medicare was established in 1965, access to care has enabled older Americans to avoid becoming disabled and to travel and live independently instead of languishing in nursing homes. But legislation now being rushed through Congress—H.R. 3200 and the Senate Health Committee Bill—will reduce access to care, pressure the elderly to end their lives prematurely, and doom baby boomers to painful later years.
The Congressional majority wants to pay for its $1 trillion to $1.6 trillion health bills with new taxes and a $500 billion cut to Medicare. This cut will come just as baby boomers turn 65 and increase Medicare enrollment by 30%. Less money and more patients will necessitate rationing. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that only 1% of Medicare cuts will come from eliminating fraud, waste and abuse.
The assault against seniors began with the stimulus package in February. Slipped into the bill was substantial funding for comparative effectiveness research, which is generally code for limiting care based on the patient’s age. Economists are familiar with the formula, where the cost of a treatment is divided by the number of years (called QALYs, or quality-adjusted life years) that the patient is likely to benefit. In Britain, the formula leads to denying treatments for older patients who have fewer years to benefit from care than younger patients.
When comparative effectiveness research appeared in the stimulus bill, Rep. Charles Boustany Jr., (R., La.) a heart surgeon, warned that it would lead to “denying seniors and the disabled lifesaving care.” He and Sen. Jon Kyl (R., Ariz.) proposed amendments to no avail that would have barred the federal government from using the research to eliminate treatments for the elderly or deny care based on age.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Better get all these people you know to call your Senators and Congressperson. Find out where the Town Hall meetings are and get them there.
We need to get in their faces - laugh at them, heckle them, berate them and tell them NO to Obama’s DeathCare.
Seniors better get motivated before some bureaucrat decided that American seniors do not need healthcare after a certain age because illegals need it more.
Don’t get mad at me - get motivated and get these people motivated.
I have a friend who works with healthy seniors between 60 to 80+ and they are all terrified one of Obama’s thugs under DeathCare will tell them they need to take a pill to get it over with and help the country.
I know seniors who voted for him and I asked them how do they like Obama now?
What makes you think seniors are already "motivated" and organized and going to tea parties? You obviously have problems with seniors, a little(actually a lot of) prejudice there I think. I don't think you realize that a very, very large part of the FReeper membership is composed of Seniors. As for asking people how do you like it now, why don't you try that with the blacks and the young whites that voted for him? That's the ones I talk to about changing their minds. Look at the bumper stickers and notice who is driving the cars, most of the time is ain't a senior.
Seniors? I have a few idiot senior relatives who voted for the clown plus a few cousins did too. I need to call them and ask them how they feel about euthanasia. Also tell them to get their affairs in order. I am almost there so I do not hate seniors. As far as AA - they got duped voting or were stupid voting for a muslim. Rev Manning told them. I know some who had jobs during Bush and they have been unemployed since O won the election. They ask me if I know anyone hiring and I tell them the economy sucks since O was elected and don't expect it to get better for years. One calls me for work and I tell them sorry. Seniors who voted for him, AA and young people got what they wanted. O and his hedge fund pals like Soros also wiped out seniors and baby boomers retirement plans.
I support seniors who voted against him. Those who voted for him deserve all the nightmares he is planning. The fools and scum who voted for him have a choice now - speak up and scream bloody murder at the Town Hall meetings or prepapre for things to get much worse.
Age discrimination by the government? ‘Sounds like a class action suit to me. When can we sue?
EX Colorado Gov Richard Lamb
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