Cool the hype on death panels

My conservative friends will be upset with me for saying this, but can we please chill out on the death panel hype? I do want to repeal Obama Care and replace it with a fiscally responsible alternative, because the 2,500-page bill will bankrupt us and cost us millions of jobs. But I do not see the big deal in the announcement that Medicare and Medicaid will reimburse doctors that hold once-a-year and voluntary “end of life” planning discussions with their patients.

For anybody who has assisted a loved one deal with a long-term illness and death, we know that there are many difficult decisions that need to be made. And expert advice on the options is critical to making good choices.

Some people feel very strongly that they do not want to live in a vegetative state (my mom) and they want the plug to be pulled when their bodies can no longer sustain their life without external help. Other people may have another view and want to hang on to life any way that they can. The choice should be theirs, but it should be a choice based on knowledge, not ignorance or fear.

I see nothing wrong with giving people the option to receive “end of life” counseling if they want it as a part of Medicare or Medicaid. As long as nobody is forced to take the counseling or as long as their end of life options are not limited by the government, how can the option of informed choice be a bad thing?

We have plenty of legitimate issues to criticize Obama Care over. Voluntary “end of life” counseling is not one of them.

Randy Rossi

Grayslake