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No!"On July 16, Betsy McCaughey, a former Republican lieutenant governor of New York, appeared on a conservative radio show. Citing page 425, she said: "Congress would make it mandatory"that every five years, people in Medicare have a required counseling session that will tell them how to end their life sooner"." AARP described McCaughey's claims as "rife with gross -- and even cruel -- distortions" of legislation that "would not only help people make the best decisions for themselves [on end-of-life care], but also better ensure that their wishes are followed."
"Will Medicare be eliminated or gutted to pay for reform?
No. It's inconceivable that any lawmaker would commit political suicide by proposing to get rid of Medicare. But the rumor has fast gained ground""
"Will the government ration care?
No. But the specter of rationing is the battle cry of reform opponents"In fact, they seek to prevent denial of care. Under every proposal, insurance companies would no longer be able to deny coverage on the basis of current health or pre-existing medical conditions."
Private insurers are chomping at the bit for reform that would force an estimated 45 million currently uninsured Americans to get health insurance. AARP has not actually come out in support of any of the bills that have been proposed. But, you can be sure if they ever do it will be a bill that does not include a public option which would create steep competition for private insurers and, therefore, cut into insurance company profits from which AARP benefits.
So, in summary, I'll give AARP some credit for recognizing that much of the rhetoric from health care reform opponents being blasted on the airwaves is completely lacking in credibility. However, I'll stop short of giving them credit for objectivity about reform because of their huge stake in insurance company profits.
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