Noted Republicans were for 'death panels' before they were against them

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin gives her resignation speech
during a ceremony in Fairbanks, Alaska.
(AP Photo/Al Grillo)

Of course the legislation on health care reforms does not include death panels. There is no secret government plan to commit euthanasia. However, the provision of the reform bill that has been decried as creating death panels and determining whether elderly citizens live based on their projected viability really concerns the creation of living wills.

A living will is an advance directive that describes your treatment preferences in end-of-life situations. Both sides of the isle have spoken of the virtue of such directives for years. The vilified provision was actually introduced by Republican Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia and a similar provision was introduced by another Republican member of Congress, Susan Collins of Maine. The attempt to generate fear and misunderstanding has manipulated positive legislation into a platform for opposition. But taking a quick glance at the records of some of the most outspoken opponents of living wills speaks to their true virtue.

As one of the most outspoken representatives of the Republican Party, Rush Limbaugh has continued the dissemination of misinformation. On his radio show, Limbaugh warned “people at a certain age with certain diseases will be deemed not worth the investment, and they will just-as Obama said-they'll give them some pain pills and let them loop out until they die and they don't even know what's happened.” However, on the same program, Limbaugh runs an ad wherein he personally informs his viewers that “August is national make a will month. Visit NationalWillMonth.com or better yet, set aside 10 minutes, go to LegalZoom.com and get started. Do it for yourself, do it for your family, take control. Now, LegalZoom is not a law firm, it was started by top attorneys to provide self-help services at your specific direction. LegalZoom.com. That's LegalZoom.com.” What could this contradiction mean? Perhaps MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow sums it up best. “It means that either Rush Limbaugh doesn't really believe the health care reform and living wills are a secret plot to kill old people conspiracy, or he does believe it, but for a few pesos, he will tell to you look into it because it's not that bad an idea.”

Much like his unelected counterpart, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has spoken the irony of contradiction. Gingrich has attempted to stir up distrust and dread by stating, “You are asking us to trust the government. Now, I'm not talking about the Obama administration but about the government. You're asking us to decide that we believe that the government is to be trusted. We know people have said routinely, well, we are going to have to make decisions, you have to decide…. You are asking us to trust turning power over to the government when they are clearly are people in America who believe in establishing euthanasia, including selective standards.” However, in the July 2nd Washington Post, Gingrich praised the type of end-of-life counseling that he previously found so contemptible.

Gingrich states “"more than 20 percent of all Medicare spending occurs in the last two months of life. Gundersen Lutheran Health System in La Crosse, Wisconsin, has developed a successful end-of-life best practice that includes community-wide advance care planning, where 90 percent of patients have advance directives. The Gundersen approach empowers patients and families to control and direct their care. Gundersen delivers at a 30 percent lower rate than the national average. If Gundersen's approach was used to care for the approximately 4.5 million Medicare beneficiaries who die every year, Medicare could save more than $33 billion a year." Those advance directives about which he speaks? Those are living wills! Not only does Gingrich think they are cost effective, not only does he think they should be available to everyone on Medicare, he also thinks that they are important tools for patient empowerment!

Perhaps the most infamous promoter of the death panel lie has been the ex-Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin. On her facebook page, Sarah Palin remarked, “the America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s ‘death panel’ so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their ‘level of productivity in society’ whether they are worthy of healthcare. Such a system is downright evil.” Yes, we would all agree that no one would be in favor of such a system. But what would Palin say about the actual legislation, a bill making the creation of living wills easier?

Before quitting, Governor Sarah Palin declared April 16th, 2008 “Healthcare Decisions Day” in Alaska. According to the proclamation, issued and signed by Palin, “Healthcare Decision Day is designed to raise public awareness of the need to plan ahead for healthcare decision, related to end of life care and medical decision-making whenever patients are unable to speak for themselves and to encourage the specific use of advance directive to communicate these important healthcare decisions.” The overall goal was to increase the number of Alaskans with living wills.

The fact that these individuals, all involved in some aspect of government, could tell these lies with a clear conscious should cause you to delve deeper. The debate on health care cannot and should not exist devoid of passion. After all it is the human element of the system which makes its proficiency so important. However, we have an obligation to learn histories and motivations. As for the loudest and most outrageous contenders, not even they believe the lies they’re telling.

For more info: 
Gingrich Washington Post article
Text of the Health Care Decision Day Proclamation
Sarah Palin Proclamation
Rachel Maddow comments