saurkraut

I don’t even know what to say about Charles Krauthammer. I roll over to the WaPo and read him occasionally to see what tripe he’s dragged up from his black soul. I love how people say “Krauthammer is a smart guy” as if that’s some justification for being a soulless and ignorant mouthpiece for the lost conservative movement in America. Kraut’s latest diatribe is against Medicare paying for end-of-life counseling for people who want it. Here’s the text of the section that Krauthammer links to but won’t extract in his piece because he rolls the same way as all shallow debaters: link but don’t show the information because most conservative Americans are too lazy to actually click and read something.

(vii) Voluntary advance care planning (as defined in paragraph (a) of this section) upon agreement with the individual.

(viii) Any other element determined appropriate through the national coverage determination process. Voluntary advance care planning means, for purposes of this section, verbal or written information regarding the following areas:

(i) An individual’s ability to prepare an advance directive in the case where an injury or illness causes the individual to be unable to make health care decisions.

(ii) Whether or not the physician is willing to follow the individual’s wishes as expressed in an advance directive.

Here’s what Chuck has to say about it:

“Most people don't remember Obamacare's notorious Section 1233, mandating government payments for end-of-life counseling. It aroused so much anxiety as a possible first slippery step on the road to state-mandated late-life rationing that the Senate never included it in the final health-care law.” (emphasis added)

What we need more of in this country is late-life planning: What do you desire if you are in a horrible accident? What medical care do you want if you are comatose and brain dead? Who do you want to make medical decisions for you if you can’t? This is something that has long been championed by conservatives as long as it wasn’t proposed by a Democrat. This is the type of planning that allows you to decide what you want. If you’re on Medicare, and want advice, you can get it. If you don’t, then don’t. It’s a pretty simple concept.

Krauthammer, of course, simply recycles bullshit from wherever he can find it. Death panels equal late-life planning? You’re a really smart guy.