Recently I wrote a post on end-of-life counseling under proposed health care revisions in response to this rather bizarre post at Resolute Obfuscation. [By the way, at two days and counting, Hand-Reared Boy -- an homage to Brian Aldiss --still can't see his way clear to take my comment out of moderation.] I cited research collated and posted at Medical Futility Blog indicating that not only was such counseling effective, but was desired by patients. Hube responded by agreeing with me on the benefits of the counseling, but arguing that financial incentives taint the process: But even some Dems are worried about the financial incentives in that section. And while I concur about your analysis of "end-of-life" consultations, I must say I am flummoxed by your seeming non-chalant attitude that the government would be involved in such ... and also considering some of the characters in Obama's admin. mike w. seconds that opinion: I'm with Hube. I don't like the fi...

Posted by Homegrown Boy : Section 1233. Kind of an Orwellian tinge to it. Well it is Orwellian for it refers to the end of life counseling sick seniors will get from the state run medical society if it passes. (cmon angry Brooks Brothers mobsters – make my day) It refers to financial incentives for agreeing to die. Please note the well to do with educated kids will be there to intervene but the poor and uneducated will be told it’s all good and the plug will get pulled. Utter horseshit, and Nancy Willing has already replied to it there. On the off chance, however, that HGB is truly just ignorant and not posturing with talking points, let's visit Thaddeus Pope at Medical Futility Blog and find out what the last decade of research into end-of-life counseling has actually found: Peer-reviewed, published studies [are[ establishing that end-of-life consultations improve care. Among other points made in the linked articles: End-of-life discussions decrease suffering and distress for pa...