Oregon Tightens Duty to Die on Cancer Patients

National Review Online ^ | November 8, 2013 | Wesley J. Smith

[xzins]

As I have discussed here previously, the first state to explicitly ration Medicaid–an integral feature of all single payer systems–tightened the screws against terminal cancer patients a few months ago. Now, the issues is gaining wider discussion in Oregon. From an opinion column published in the Statesman Journal by Peter J. Pitts:

In August, Oregon’s Health Evidence Review Commission issued an update to its guidelines for providing cancer treatment to low-income individuals covered by the state Medicaid program. These new guidelines require that Medicaid deny coverage for certain cancer treatments for patients that have been deemed “too” sick, haven’t responded well to previous treatments, or can’t care for themselves.

Through these new rules, Oregon state bureaucrats are severely restricting access to care and dooming potentially thousands of local patients to a premature death…It’s true that for some late-stage cancer patients, the odds are long than any additional treatment can help. But without access to the latest that medical science has to offer, a patient’s survival rate simply drops to zero.

These guidelines dictate that Medicaid only provide “palliative” care – painkillers, acupuncture treatments, wheelchairs, drugs for nausea, and the like.

It’s death panel time!

In the new USA, these kind of death maneuvers will always be done in the bowels of the deep bureaucracy without direct representational democratic involvement.

[nascarnation]

Agree with your post.

It’s a failure of logic to demand unlimited funding of medicaid life support AND reasonable costs to those taxpayers funding it.

[xzins]

[xzins]

It is in the best interest of beast.gov to silence those voices

And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch (Mk 13:37)

[Tired of Taxes]

Ping

[chickenlips]

When I hear the term “palliative care” I think of George Soros and the “third path”. Here’s a little history.

http://www.americanthinker.com/printpage/?url=http://www.americanthinker.com/archived-articles/../2011/04/teflon_liberals.html

[lepton]

The point is that under a pay-your-own-way system, they were free to have whatever kind of insurance they wanted, so their death decision was their own.

Under a government-pays system, the government makes death decisions.

Whatever those who voted this in were thinking doesn’t really matter. Their stupidity affects me and my family, and I did NOT vote for this, but it will be imposed on me and mine eventually.

---

Well said

[steve86]

These new guidelines require that Medicaid deny coverage for certain cancer treatments for patients that have been deemed “too” sick, haven’t responded well to previous treatments, or can’t care for themselves.

It is the "can't care for themselves" rationale that scares the heck out of me. The other situations can be seen rationally -- in some cases -- as not throwing money down a hole, but the latter is merely an issue of inconvenience for the state (sound familiar?).

[xzins]

[musicman]

Help FR Continue the Conservative Fight!
Your Monthly and Quarterly Donations
Help Keep FR In the Battle!

Sponsoring FReepers are contributing
$10 Each time a New Monthly Donor signs up!
Get more bang for your FR buck!
Click Here To Sign Up Now!

[katiedidit1]

Just buried my husband today with full military honors. He fought cancer for years and I treasure every additional minute that he was able to live and spend time with his children, grandchildren and me. Life is precious but in today’s world of moral decay...little matters.

[xzins]

Our prayers are with you and your family, katiedidit1, and our thoughts with those who served. We have been privileged to live alongside of patriots of our day. May the price they paid for freedom remind us of our own duty. And may their struggle remind us to continue the fight. Faith.

[wally_bert]

Operation Eastbourne. Nod to Red Dwarf.

[Hardastarboard]

These new guidelines require that Medicaid deny coverage for certain cancer treatments for patients that have been deemed “too” sick, haven’t responded well to previous treatments, or can’t care for themselves.

DEATH PANELS ARE HERE, ALL YOU @$$HOLES THAT SAID SARAH PALIN WAS CRAZY.

Yes, I'm shouting. As if liberals can possibly be made to hear.

[lowbridge]

bump

[xzins]

Sometimes we need to shout. Whispering when there’s danger is cowardice, so that makes it a low-level form of betrayal.

[B4Ranch]

We can’t rely on doctors who consider a cured, healthy patient as a lost customer. It’s true that for some late-stage cancer patients, the odds are long than any of the traditional treatments can help but in many cases alternative care treatments are the answer to recovery.

[The Antiyuppie]

Wow, how could have possibly foreseen this happening...

[RetiredTexasVet]

“... deemed ...”.

Probably best to get a job as a “deemer” .... just a precaution.

[Nowhere Man]

Just buried my husband today with full military honors. He fought cancer for years and I treasure every additional minute that he was able to live and spend time with his children, grandchildren and me. Life is precious but in today’s world of moral decay...little matters.

My mother is dying from her inflammatory breast cancer. My condolences go out to you and it is very hard to see and go through it. I treasure every minute I can get with my mothers and it hurts me to be away from her but now I have to go out and get a job, I stayed home to be her caregiver and it is hard.

[Nowhere Man]

We can’t rely on doctors who consider a cured, healthy patient as a lost customer. It’s true that for some late-stage cancer patients, the odds are long than any of the traditional treatments can help but in many cases alternative care treatments are the answer to recovery.

I'm trying to do that with my mother as we speak.