So say Republicans like John Boehner, who look at provisions for increased access to palliative care and end-of-life counseling in the new health care reform bill and scream this:

This provision may start us down a treacherous path toward government-encouraged euthanasia if enacted into law.

Uh, no.

As Harold Pollack explains here, this is just more conservative fear-mongering meant to derail reform. Providing more people with the option to have palliative care when they’re dying, or access to counseling about advance medical directives when they’re faced with a terminal illness, is just that: providing more people with more options. The government wouldn’t be forcing anyone to do anything as death approaches, and people like Boehner would still be free the forgo palliative care (and other services) out of paranoia about why the feds might really be trying to make them feel better.

Eli Sanders was The Stranger's associate editor. His book, "While the City Slept," was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. He once did this and once won...

15 replies on “Watch Out Seniors, Barack Obama Wants To Euthanize You With His Scary New Health Care Plan!”

  2. bah, facts and logic mean nothing to me. fear of my emotions controls me. i am old and afraid of death. therefore i will reject any attempt to help me deal with it’s inevitability.

  5. Obama doesn’t have any actula plan, evidently, and kicking down ‘ObamaCare’ is like taking candy from a baby. We’re actually starting to feel guilty, it is so easy.

  8. Studies show that access to palliative care prolongs life. Go figure, dealing with scary subjects openly and with forethought creates better results. Once again the Dems side with what works and the GOP clings to preening and posturing through all the difficult questions in life.

  13. The sad thing is that single payer national health care would mean those old white angry folks who hate America and vote GOP would live LONGER. About 6-8 years, in fact.

  15. this new health care reform is a wolf in sheeps clothing it is deadly to all seniors 50yrs & older you will be encouraged to commit suicide or the government will do it for you. all senior citizens will be euthanized by
    this new dictator we have elected ( as hitler did) (as stalin did).

    people are gullible like sheep led to slaughter like cattle jumping off a cliff if this new health care reform is allowed to pass & become law.

    no-one over 50 yrs of age will be allowed to live in this country

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