American Elephants


The wonders of socialized medicine… by The Elephant's Child
July 31, 2008, 8:03 pm
Filed under: Domestic Policy, Health Care, Politics, Socialism | Tags: , , , ,

Oregon is the only state that both allows assisted suicide and attempts to ration health care. Barbara Wagner, a 64 year old woman who had recovered from lung cancer found that it had recurred. Her oncologist prescribed a cancer drug that would cost $4,000 a month.

The Oregon Health Plan said that it wouldn’t cover the treatment, but it would cover palliative care, including, if she chose, doctor-assisted suicide. That’s what happens when the state has the tough job of rationing government-paid health care.

The Oregonian editorial was apparently troubled by the “appearance” of ethical conflict when the state makes the offer, but is untroubled by the actual ethical conflict presented by the assisted suicide policy.

The Pharmaceutical company is stepping in to help Barbara Wagner. Thanks to James Taranto at WSJ’s “Best of the Web” for the story. It certainly bears thinking about.

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Ah yes, the argument by liberals for socialized healthcare is contradictorily astounding. All for the living, and the disadvantaged, and yet a long history of eugenics that still shows its ugly face. They often argue that things like this are mere exceptions that can be found in any system, and obviously still a far less worrisome exception than the rule of American private healthcare. And then they go on, rather very quickly in their dismissals, to tout just how great these things are with the great worldwide hope of socialized healthcare.
Sure everyone gets taken care of…to a point, and often the care is so far below the level of healthcare provided under our system.
When arguing that even with our system, everyone can get covered, its amazing how ludicrous they get with their examples of the uninsured, denying the fact that most of those people qualify for our current government programs on the state and federal levels, or actually choose not to take advantage of healthcare plans available to them. I once mentioned that ERs are open to everyone, insured or not, and then they point out that they still get billed. And yet, owing or not, the same person can go right back to the ER again and again. Afterall, illegal aliens seem to be able to do it over and over everywhere….but apparently as Americans, we just wont do that type of thing….
Gotta love the double standards….
Great Post!

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Comment by Mike Lovell August 1, 2008 @ 9:55 am
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Great post.

The state should NEVER, EVER be in the business of killing sick people. If the state is going to provide health care, then it has the moral duty to make good on its promise. If it cannot keep its promise, then it should get out of the medical field entirely.

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Comment by renaissanceguy August 1, 2008 @ 10:50 pm
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You are right, killing sick people is wrong… wait isn’t that called the death penalty? Whoops… so much for never ever…

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Comment by Bill August 4, 2008 @ 9:08 am
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No, killing sick people to save money, instead of giving them prescribed medicine, is not called the death penalty. Making distinctions is something adults try to do.

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Comment by The Elephant's Child August 4, 2008 @ 11:55 am
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Perhaps the compassionate legislators of the great state of Oregon could solve the ethical dilemma of whether to cure or help kill the patient by pricing the assisted suicide drug the same as the cancer drug. Just a thought.

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Comment by Stan in California December 17, 2009 @ 12:56 pm
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