> HEALTH: SENATE PANEL TO DROP END-OF-LIFE PROVISION
> By Kasie Hunt
>
>
> The Senate Finance Committee will not include House-backed provisions
> aimed at helping people plan for end-of-life care, the panel's top
> Republican said today.
>
> "We dropped end-of-life provisions from consideration entirely > because of
> the way they could be misinterpreted and implemented incorrectly," > Finance
> ranking member Charles Grassley said in a statement. "Maybe others can
> defend a bill like the [Speaker] Pelosi bill that leaves major > issues open
> to interpretation, but I can't."
>
> The House bill would require that Medicare pay physicians to counsel
> Medicare patients on end-of-life care issues once every five years,
> although the counseling sessions would be voluntary.
>
> The provision has sparked a political furor in recent days, with some
> conservatives dubbing the counseling sessions "death panels" and > critics
> arguing the idea could lead to euthanasia or rationing of care for the
> elderly.
>
> The charges forced President Obama to address the issue at his Tuesday
> healthcare town hall in Portsmouth, N.H. "So the intention of the > members
> of Congress was to give people more information so that they could > handle
> issues of end-of-life care when they're ready, on their own terms," > Obama
> said of the House provision. "It wasn't forcing anybody to do > anything."
>
> "Somehow it's gotten spun into this idea of 'death panels.' I am not > in
> favor of that," Obama said. "I want to clear the air here."
>
> Obama said he had backing from Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. Isakson > opposes
> the House bill, but he did lead an effort in the Senate Health, > Education,
> Labor and Pensions Committee to add a provision making it easier for
> patients to develop living wills.
>
> The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee added > Isakson's
> changes to a section of the healthcare overhaul that would create a
> voluntary long-term care insurance program. Isakson's provision allows
> anyone who participates in that program to receive assistance > creating a
> living will and assigning durable power of attorney. The long-term > care
> program is also included in House version of the overhaul.
>
>
> http://www.nationaljournal.com/congressdai...090813_7981.php