Death panel
A death panel is a state-sponsored group established to determine whether the elderly and infirm deserve life-saving medical treatment.[1]
In the United states, former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin repeatedly linked the concept to the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, the Obama Administration's health care reform act,[1][2] calling such plans "downright evil."[3] However, Palin's claims about the proposed law were debunked in the media.[4][5][6][7]
Physician assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the U.S. state of Oregon, however such laws are careful to insure the patient makes their decision of their own free will.[1]
However, in Texas, the Advance Directives Act, known also as the Texas Futile Care Law, permits a board of physicians to allow a patient in their hospital to die if they determine further medical care would be futile. The law does require the panel to inform the patient's family two days before it meets to make its decision, and the family has 10 days to transfer its loved one to another facility.[1]
In Britain, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence advises the National Health Service on which drugs are cost-effective,[1] and has been accused of giving certain patients an early death sentence.[8] However, patients may still chose to pay out of pocket, as currently may Americans when their health insurance provider denies their claim.[1]
As of 2009, fifty-eight countries have a death penalty for certain crimes, and they have a broad range of trial, appeals, and execution processes.[1] In both the Japan and the United States have a Supreme Court which effectively acts as the highest ranking death panel making the penalty determination.[1] In China, which leads the world in executions at an estimated 5,000 in 2008, death penalty decisions are made by committee.[1] However, beginning in 2007, judicial leaders began requiring a final review of every capital case by the Supreme People's Court which cut the number of exectutions in half.[1][9] Iran and Saudi Arabia have an appeals process but nevertheless execute a high proportion of their prisoners.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Nangia, Aditi (2009-09-09). "Real Life Death Panels: As Sarah Palin continues to spread misinformation about Barack Obama's health-care plan, FP looks at where the real "death panels" are". Foreign Policy.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Palin, Sarah (2009-09-08). "Obama and the Bureaucratization of Health Care: The president's proposals would give unelected officials life-and-death rationing powers". Wall Street Journal.
Given such statements, is it any wonder that many of the sick and elderly are concerned that the Democrats' proposals will ultimately lead to rationing of their health care by—dare I say it—death panels?
- ^ Tapper, Jake (2009-08-07). "Palin Paints Picture of 'Obama Death Panel' Giving Thumbs Down to Trig". ABC News Senior White House Correspondent.
Palin posted the following comments on the web - 'And who will suffer the most when they ration care?' Palin asks. 'The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course. The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's "death panel" so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their "level of productivity in society," whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.'
- ^ "Palin 'death panel' claim sets Truth-O-Meter ablaze".
- ^ "McCaughey claims end-of-life counseling will be required for Medicare patients".
- ^ "Palin claims Obama misled when he said end-of-life counseling is voluntary".
- ^ "Media have debunked the death panels, 40 times over". Media Matters for America. 2009-08-15.
- ^ Hope, Jenny (2008-08-07). "Drug denial is devastating 'death sentence' for cancer patients". Daily Mail.
- ^ Fan, Maureen (2008-12-24). "China's Capital Cases Still Secret, Arbitrary". Washington Post.
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