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I guess if that is position, I do. I did not know that I agreed with Obama on anything.
If physicians were allowed to act rationally without external forces, this waste of money in the last two months of life would end. Family members and pressures of litigation make rational decisions impossible. We just go through the motions to stay out of trouble. There is always some attorney or expert witness that will say that the patient would have been perfectly okay and lived many more years if only you had done............xyz. This is absurd, but with these risk elements, one is compelled to do "everything". "Everything" costs alot. I probably order close to $10,000 a day in imaging that would not be necessary in a rational world. However, we must cover our asses for fear of the the consequences if we do not. Take that $10,000 and multiply it by the number of docs in the US and you get an idea of the magnitude of the problem. The one patient in ten years where you miss something by not ordering all those tests can sue you, bankrupt you, and pull your liscense. It is not worth the risk.
I guess if that is position, I do. I did not know that I agreed with Obama on anything.
If physicians were allowed to act rationally without external forces, this waste of money in the last two months of life would end. Family members and pressures of litigation make rational decisions impossible. We just go through the motions to stay out of trouble. There is always some attorney or expert witness that will say that the patient would have been perfectly okay and lived many more years if only you had done............xyz. This is absurd, but with these risk elements, one is compelled to do "everything". "Everything" costs alot. I probably order close to $10,000 a day in imaging that would not be necessary in a rational world. However, we must cover our asses for fear of the the consequences if we do not. Take that $10,000 and multiply it by the number of docs in the US and you get an idea of the magnitude of the problem. The one patient in ten years where you miss something by not ordering all those tests can sue you, bankrupt you, and pull your liscense. It is not worth the risk.
I don't think the litigation threat and cost of health care is solely the Democrats' fault though (like you suggested in your prior post). We have Republican types (Christian fundamentalists) who want everything done for their loved ones, asking to put brain dead patients on vents because they believe - against all the evidence of science - that their prayers will be answered, a miracle will happen, and their loved ones will suddenly wake up and walk.
At a healthcare town hall, he says stopping futile procedures for the terminally ill can lower costs.
By Peter Nicholas
June 25, 2009
Reporting from Washington -- President Obama suggested at a town hall event Wednesday night that one way to shave medical costs is to stop expensive and ultimately futile procedures performed on people who are about to die and don't stand to gain from the extra care.
In a nationally televised event at the White House, Obama said families need better information so they don't unthinkingly approve "additional tests or additional drugs that the evidence shows is not necessarily going to improve care."
I agree completely with Obama on this one. There are indeed a lot of people who are being kept alive (if you want to call it that - I call it "existing", not living) by extraordinary measures which ALWAYS end up as a futile attempt to ward away death. A close very elderly family member had a $12,000 pacemaker inserted (along with many other costly procedures), even though she was barely hanging on and had about zero chance at recovery. She died about two weeks later. She was heading towards 90, had full-on dementia, broken hip, heart problems, diabetic, and a whole cascade of things wrong with her.
STILL, the doctors wanted to proceed with all sorts of other medical intervention; until finally the family allowed her to go into Hospice care and live in peace without medical intervention, other than to be kept comfortable. Let me tell you, the doctors FOUGHT the family on this, making them feel guilty about their decision. I can't tell you how many people we encountered at hospice who had a similiar battle with hospitals and the doctors who kept their loved ones "alive" by extraordinary measures, prolonging the suffering and pain. These family members were ANGRY for having their love ones suffer so immensely before they finally got to Hospice where all heroic measures were stopped and nature could take it's course.
Then there are young and middle-aged people who get denied life-saving medical care, which could allow them decades and decades of life, and allow them to grow up and/or raise their families. There is NO fairness in our healthcare system, there is only $$$$$.
What words other than WOW JUST WOW are mine?
Take the blinders off and read the "one's" own words. What we have been warning and what has been said before.
The obama administration wants to pick and choose who receives what care, when and for how long.
It is NOT the Govs place to choose someones medical care it is up to the families involved.
But what do you expect from a administration that says the
"old should just die gracefully"
What's wrong with dying gracefully? Compared to being treated like an animal, being poked and prodded, going through painful procedures even though it is known at some point that the procedures are a complete waste of time and money and do nothing more than prolong the pain and suffering? Do you think that any of us can escape death when it is our time?
I should correct myself: animals DO get treated more humanely than human beings.
At a healthcare town hall, he says stopping futile procedures for the terminally ill can lower costs.
Mein Fuhrer, I can walk!
"Life Unworthy of Life" and other Medical Killing Programmes (http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/genocide/mord.htm - broken link)
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 630-PS
Source:Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume III. USGPO, Washington, 1946/p.451
Fuehrer Euthanasia Authorization (http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/genocide/mord1.htm - broken link)
[ On letterhead A.. Hitler] Berlin 1 Sept 1939
Reichsleiter Bouhler and Dr. Brandt, M. D. are charged with the responsibility of enlarging the authority of certain physicians to be designated by name in such a manner that persons who, according to human judgment, are incurable can, upon a most careful diagnosis of their condition of sickness, be accorded a mercy death.
signed : A. HITLER
[Handwritten note] Given to me by Bouhler on 27 August 1940
signed: Dr. Guertner
III a 3/ 41 g Rs /
==============
Obama is an evil bastard from hell and don't you forget it.
We all need to remember who started the genocidal murder campaign in Nazi Germany. It wasn't the brownshirt thugs in the street but the most learned and respected doctors in all of Germany.
A doctors oath is not to cause additional harm and yet in Germany off they went on a murder spree all with the best of intentions.
Matter of fact every single person who was instrumental in the wholesale murder of the Reinhard camps was very involved in the Life Unworthy of Life campaign of the 1930's.
I guess if that is position, I do. I did not know that I agreed with Obama on anything.
If physicians were allowed to act rationally without external forces, this waste of money in the last two months of life would end. Family members and pressures of litigation make rational decisions impossible. We just go through the motions to stay out of trouble. There is always some attorney or expert witness that will say that the patient would have been perfectly okay and lived many more years if only you had done............xyz. This is absurd, but with these risk elements, one is compelled to do "everything". "Everything" costs alot. I probably order close to $10,000 a day in imaging that would not be necessary in a rational world. However, we must cover our asses for fear of the the consequences if we do not. Take that $10,000 and multiply it by the number of docs in the US and you get an idea of the magnitude of the problem. The one patient in ten years where you miss something by not ordering all those tests can sue you, bankrupt you, and pull your liscense. It is not worth the risk.
I am in the medical profession also as an anesthetist. I totally agree with you here. Patients I have seen coming to the OR for last ditch measures such as tracheotomies, should have passed away peacefully days/weeks prior. The patients continue to have everything known done to keep their heart beating and ventilation going. Yet, they always die after all of that.
I don't feel any sense of accomplishment providing this type of care. I would if the medical care I provided for these pateints was for comfort instead.
I don't think the litigation threat and cost of health care is solely the Democrats' fault though (like you suggested in your prior post). We have Republican types (Christian fundamentalists) who want everything done for their loved ones, asking to put brain dead patients on vents because they believe - against all the evidence of science - that their prayers will be answered, a miracle will happen, and their loved ones will suddenly wake up and walk.
Absolutely true! Very good point! I have seen this all too often!
Yes, let’s get rid of insurance companies altogether. They have a conflict of interest. Paying for healthcare benefits decreases their profits. The government needs to conserve spending as much as possible, remember?
Make one risk pool which includes all citizens and run it similar to Medicare.
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