Obama's Head Fake On Death Panels

Relax...the death panels are out. They are being taken out of the Senate
version. Right. Everyone has been confusing the talk of "end of life counseling"
provisions in HR 3200, they mistook those for the REAL death panels. No, the real
power to determine who lives and who dies will fall to the Comparative
Effectiveness Research Council.

Funny thing, page 219 of the bill, under section 1401, it is Titled
"Comparative Effectiveness Research". There is currently no other text in this
section. That is because they do not want you to know what the powers and
responsibilities of the Council are. Should you be concerned? Well since this
Council has been in existence since March 2009, appointed by Barack Obama, you
better be.You can see the notice here on what they are to do at recovery.gov.

To save you some time, I will quote the relevant passage:

"Comparative effectiveness research provides information on the relative
strengths and weakness of various medical interventions. Such research will give
clinicians and patients valid information to make decisions that will improve
the performance of the U.S. health care system."

Also:

"Prioritization Criteria

The criteria for scientifically meritorious research and investments are:

1. Potential Impact (based on prevalence of condition, burden of disease,
   variability in outcomes, and costs of care)
2. Potential to evaluate comparative effectiveness in diverse populations and
   patient sub-populations
3. Uncertainty within the clinical and public health communities regarding
   management decisions
4. Addresses need or gap unlikely to be addressed through other funding
   mechanisms
5. Potential for multiplicative effect (e.g. lays foundation for future CER or
   generates additional investment outside government)"

Section 1401 of the bill is purposely left blank so the real power of this
body can be assigned by the regulation writing bureaucrats who will "fill in"
the real power making provisions of the bill once it is passed with no checks
and balances other than a full rejection by the Congress. So no, the Death
Panels are not gone. You were never looking in the real place to begin. This is
Tom Daschle's contribution to the debate and his master plan he was to implement
before having to withdraw as the nominee for Secretary of Health and Human
Services. Daschle called it the "Federal Medical Board" to be modeled after the
National Health Board of the UK's now infamous Socialized medical system. For a
glimpse, here is a synopsis of his book on fixing the medical system taken form
the Barnes and Noble site.

Daschle's solution lies in the Federal Reserve Board, which has overseen the
equally complicated financial system with great success. A Fed-like health board
would offer a public framework within which a private health-care system can
operate more effectively and efficiently-insulated from political pressure yet
accountable to elected officials and the American people. Daschle argues that
this independent board would create a single standard of care and exert
tremendous influence on every other provider and payer, even those in the
private sector.

The title of Daschle's book is :

Critical: What We Can Do About the Health Care Crisis, St. Martin's Press,
Pub. Date: February 2008

Never heard of it? That is not surprising, no one bought it and it did not
really give any real details anyway.

Make no mistake. We cannot add 45 million patients (an inflated figure
anyway) and not add massive costs to the system. Despite there claiming to get
500 billion in savings from Medicare (with a 30% increase in patients under that
system over the next 10 years), there will have to massive denials of the most
expensive, life saving care in order to spread the care around. Especially once
they get to Section 224 (b)(1)(b) (page 125) of the bill where they correct all disparities
in treatment on the basis of " including racial, ethnic, and other disparities".
The "other" disparities will no doubt includ "age" and if they could get away
with it, Republicans