Obamacare: Could Assisted Suicide Promoters Be Paid to Fill Out Death Request Forms? » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog

Updated 2 months, 3 weeks ago

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There is a section deep in the bill that would appear to pay for advocacy services, provided to beneficiaries receiving home or community based services, starting at page 1593.Â I wonder whether this section could permit back door assisted suicide advocacy in states where it is legal. The key question comes up on page 1594. From the bill[51]:

(e) ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE COUNSELING.âAn agreement entered into under ...

subsection (a)(2)(A)(iii) shall require the entity to assign, as requested by an eligible beneficiary that is covered by such agreement, an advice and assistance counselor who shall provide an eligibleÂ beneficiary with information regardingâ(1) accessing and coordinating long-term services and supports in the most integrated setting;Â (2) possible eligibility for other benefits and services; (3) development of a service and support plan; (4) information about programs established under the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 and the services offered under such programs; (5) available assistance with decision making concerning medical care, including the right to accept or refuse medical or surgical treatment and theÂ right to formulate advance directives or other written instructions recognized under State law, such as a living will or durable power of attorney for health care, in the case that an injury or illness causes theÂ individual to be unable to make health care decisions; and (6) such other services as the Secretary, by regulation, may require.

It seems to me that this could be construed as permitting an advocacy group like Compassion and Choices to be paid to help eligible people who want assisted suicide to fill out the required forms and advise about assisted suicide services.Â Note, there is no prohibition on this section for promoting assisted suicide as there is in the advance directive section.Â Moreover, relevant to both this and the previous post,Â Compassion and Choices says that assisted suicide of the terminally ill by physicians isnt assisted suicide, but aid in dying.Â It is even facilitating a lawsuit in CT to have a judge legalize assisted suicide by redefinition.[52]

The ridiculous aid in dying scheme aside, I certainly dont know that this was the intent of the drafters or, indeed, whether my concern is warranted. But I dont see anything in this section of the bill that would preclude payment for assisted suicide advocacy services in states where it is legal.Â The devil would be in the regulatory details.Â Indeed, with Compassion and Choices is striving to become the Planned Parenthood of death, I have little doubt that it and other such groups would seek payment for assisted suicide advocacy services they now offer for free if Obamacare passes.

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Obamacare: Nonstory–Bill Does Not Refuse to Pay For Withdrawal of Food and Fluids » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog 3 months ago on Wordpress

[...] withhold food and fluids, even though it will not pay to “promote assisted suicide” (the nuances about which I discussed here) in the end of life counseling provision (revised and made better from the original version, as I [...]

Ianthe 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress

Aid in birth is one thing; I don’t believe in it, or in life being easy to get into as if it were deserved just because one is trying, but at least it’s something that doesn’t automatically happen easily, and for the sake of logic here, that’s important. But aid in dying? A person’s going to die no matter what, with or without help. There goes their rationale. These people ... See all content Hide content

JustChris 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress

HW,

The problem is, as Mason stated, if you give them a hole an inch wide, they’ll drive a semi-truck through it full of explosives to blow it open a mile wide. Courts and policy activists will twist meaning of even simple terms. Why abortion is such a hot topic in this, as current experience shows, some states are required by courts to fund abortion because there was not clear language ... See all content Hide content

HistoryWriter 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress

“Could”? Do I sense a bit of desperation there, as if someone were casting about frantically for some new scare tactics? Lots of things are possible; and most of them are very unlikely.

monty 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress

Sometimes people try to act more sophisticated than they actually are by making extremely ill-informed comments. That’s precisely the case with Welsey Smith’s article. He ought to leave interpretation of proposed federal legislative language to the professionals.

uberVU - social comments 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress

Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by otherspoon: Smith tries to make case that “deep in” HCR bill is “backdoor” way to pay assisted suicide advocates. http://bit.ly/3VdXVl…

Ianthe 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress

The phrase “end of life” and its acceptance is an immense problem in the first place. It smarmily opens the door to huge trouble. With its acceptance, the door is open to ending life, and that’s why it’s been created and pushed on us as a euphemism. It means death. This is like saying “I have a problem with…” rather than “I don’t like”; the ... See all content Hide content

Tweets that mention Obamacare: Could Assisted Suicide Promoters Be Paid to Fill Out Death Request Forms? » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog -- Topsy.com 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lisa Correnti, Ann Neumann. Ann Neumann said: Smith tries to make case that "deep in" HCR bill is "backdoor" way to pay assisted suicide advocates. http://bit.ly/3VdXVl [...]

Germanist 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress

People about to die or believing they are about to die (and later recover) very often change their minds. I have not read about any provisions ensuring that changes of mind are observed.

otherspoon 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter

Smith tries to make case that "deep in" HCR bill is "backdoor" way to pay assisted suicide advocates. http://bit.ly/3VdXVl

Mason 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress

Based upon my past service in high level government posts I’d say it’s a certainty that anything can be construed to mean anything.

Behind Closed Doors: What Happened to That “Open Door, C-SPAN” Promise about Health Care Negotiations, Mr. Obama? (video) « Frugal Café Blog Zone 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress

[...] reconciliation loophole and Top 10 health care questions for President Obama Secondhand Smoke: Obamacare: Could Assisted Suicide Promoters Be Paid to Fill Out Death Request Forms? Gateway Pundit: Fearmongering First Lady Pushes Nationalized Health Care (Video) and Far Left Crank [...]

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