Obama / Berwick Slip Death Panels Back in Health Care

Supported by Dr. Death: Donald Berwick

Elections have consequences and one may be the early demise of the elderly in coming years through the potential "nazification" of the American health care system. It is truly amazing how conservatives will oppose President Obama's agenda and yet will bow down and vote for the confirmation, or at least not stand in the way of the confirmation other than "small talk." Senators, especially Republicans, often say the nominations of the president should be supported because he was elected by the people. Senator's seem to forget their responsibility to their constituents and have to be reminded by the grassroots that we are not happy with their pandering of presidential appointments.

However, in the case of Donald Berwick, the Republicans rightly blocked confirmation to head Medicare and Medicaid and lead implementation of ObamaCare. The reason was that Berwick was definitely not pro-life and was an advocate of "death panels."

But Barack Obama wanted Berwick in place to and appointed him using a recess appointment without his being confirmed. Berwick's appointment officially ends with the new Congress and Congress should defund his position unless Berwick is removed!

With the compromise movement to remove the alleged "death panels" from ObamaCare (the Federal Health Care law), Obama stepped up the process via interim appointee Donald Berwick to covertly slip into
government medicare regulations the advocacy of death options via non treatment.  These procedures go into effect on January 1, 2011.  Taking advantage of the vulnerability of patients when they are in need of care is inhuman and immoral.

Fox News reported,"A new health regulation issued this month offers elderly Medicare health insurance recipients voluntary end-of-life planning – the practice that former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin likened to “death panels” during the debate over Obamacare. Democrats had dropped from the monumental health care overhaul, but the Obama administration has written it back in.

As NewsMax reports, "During the stormy debate over his healthcare plan, President Barack Obama promised his program would not "pull the plug on grandma," and Congress dropped plans for death panels and "end of life" counseling that would encourage aged patients from partaking in costly medical procedures."

The New York Times reports that on December 3rd, "the Obama administration seemingly flouted the will of Congress by issuing a new Medicare regulation detailing "voluntary advance care planning" that is to be included during patients' annual checkups. The regulation aimed at the aged 'may include advance directives to forgo aggressive life-sustaining treatment.'"

House Speaker-Elect John Boehner said during the healthcare debate: “This provision may start us down a treacherous path toward government-encouraged euthanasia.”

Specifically, the measure was known as Section 1233 of the bill the House passed in November 2009. It was not included in the final legislation, however. It allowed Medicare to pay for consultations about advance care planning every five years. In contrast, the new rule allows annual discussions as part of wellness visits.

Elizabeth D. Wickham, executive director of LifeTree, a pro-life Christian educational ministry, told the Times that she is concerned that end-of-life counseling would encourage patients to forgo or curtail care, thus hastening death.

“The infamous Section 1233 is still alive and kicking,” Wickham said. “Patients will lose the ability to control treatments at the end of life.”

The rule was issued by Dr. Donald Berwick, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, according to the Times. He is a longtime advocate for rationing medical procedures for the elderly.

As NewsMax reminded us that "During the heated healthcare debate, supporters of the Obama plan vigorously denied that rationing for seniors would take place and scoffed at "death panel" critics such as Palin."

Well, the scoffing was also deceptive, Obama's appointment of Berwick was deceptive and the method of changing of the Medicare regulation by an interim appointee was deceptive.

Congress must act to stop this regulation provision and to make sure that "Doctor Death" Donald Berwick is removed (Not approved by the new Senate) and prevented from carrying out his plans for the eventual short term plan of preventing or reducing medical care for the elderly, and based on his outspoken positions, his long term plan for the eventual euthanization of the elderly.

The Senate cannot risk President Obama making recess appointments and must take action to prevent them from occurring.

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