Far-right Religious Group Behind "death Panels" Myth Also Be

[Fidei Defensor]

Far-right religious group behind outrageous health care lies

[url="http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/08/the-far-right-religious-group-behind-the-outrageous-health-care-reform-lies.html"]http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/08/the...eform-lies.html[/url]

When reporters asked former Alaska Gov. and Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin where she got the misinformation she posted to her Facebook page about the health care reform bill creating a "death panel" to promote euthanizing the elderly and people with disabilities, her spokesperson pointed to the section in the House Democrats' legislation that begins on page 425.



If Palin or her staff had actually read the bill, they would have realized this section simply promotes advance care planning, which in fact puts the power to make decisions about end-of-life care in the hands of individuals -- not government panels.

So where did Palin get that bad information? It appears she pulled it from a set of talking points that has been making its way around the internet in recent weeks -- talking points assembled by the Liberty Counsel, a far-right religious group that's part of Jerry Falwell's Liberty University empire based in Lynchburg, Va.

Founded in 1989, the Liberty Counsel is a nonprofit law firm and public policy organization with offices in Florida, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Its founder and chairman is Mathew D. Staver (in photo), who also serves as the dean of Liberty University School of Law, and its president is Staver's wife, attorney Anita L. Staver. Before becoming a lawyer, Mathew Staver was a pastor in the Seventh Day Adventist Church, a conservative Protestant sect that believes in the infallibility of the Bible.

Liberty Counsel established its reputation with lawsuits successfully challenging the division of church and state and became affiliated with Liberty University/Falwell Ministries in 2004. Before he died in 2007, Falwell said that he could "think of no greater work being done right now in America for the sake of our religious freedom and Christian heritage than that being done by Liberty Counsel."

The group made the news recently for its legal fight in Florida against a gay couple who received a judge's permission to adopt two children they helped rescue from a crack house. It's also won widespread attention for its Help Save Christmas® campaign as well as its annual Day of Purity™ promoting sexual abstinence among youth.

On July 29, 2009, Liberty Counsel released its talking points about the health care reform bill. Among the many parts of the legislation it raises concerns about is the page cited by Palin, about which it states:
* Sec. 1233, Pg. 425, Lines 4-12 - Government mandates Advance (Death) Care Planning consultation. Think Senior Citizens and end of life. END-OF-LIFE COUNSELING. SOME IN THE ADMINISTRATION HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED RATIONING HEALTH CARE FOR THE ELDERLY.

* Sec. 1233, Pg. 425, Lines 17-19 - Government WILL instruct and consult regarding living wills and durable powers of attorney. Mandatory end-of-life planning!

* Sec. 1233, Pg. 425-426, Lines 22-25, 1-3 - Government provides approved list of end-of-life resources, guiding you in death.
The section of the bill referred to does nothing resembling "rationing health care for the elderly" or "guiding you in death." As we already noted, it simply promotes advance care planning under the Medicare program by encouraging doctors to discuss with their patients advance directives such as living wills and durable powers of attorney -- legal documents that give individuals the power to state what they want in advance so that decision isn't left up to anyone else. You can read the entire bill with the pertinent page numbers here [pdf].

That got us wondering: What other distortions are contained in Liberty Counsel's talking points? We decided to fact-check some of the document's wilder claims against the actual text of the health care bill:

* THE CLAIM: "Sec. 122, Pg. 29, Lines 4-16 - YOUR HEALTH CARE WILL BE RATIONED!"

* THE FACTS: This refers to a section in Subtitle C of the legislation, which sets standards guaranteeing access to essential benefits. The lines the Liberty Counsel's talking point refers to actually limit the costs a family in a covered plan can be required to share in order to receive essential benefits. It does nothing to "ration" health care.

* THE CLAIM: "Sec. 1177, Pg. 354 - Government will RESTRICT enrollment of special needs people! 'Extension of Authority of Special Needs Plans to Restrict Enrollment.'"

* THE FACTS: This piece of the legislation refers to a section of the Social Security Act governing insurance for the elderly and disabled. It grandfathers in certain plans that already had contracts to run integrated Medicaid-Medicare programs for the impoverished elderly, and it requires the Department of Health and Human Services to analyze the impact of those plans. It restricts no one's enrollment in anything.

* THE CLAIM: "Sec. 1308, Pg. 489 - The government will cover Marriage and Family therapy. This will involve government control of your marriage."

* THE FACTS: This section of the bill does provide for insurance coverage of marriage and family therapy -- but by licensed, certified therapists, not government agents.

As this quick fact-check shows, the Liberty Counsel's talking points appear to have been assembled by someone who is either only barely literate or who simply scanned the document for language that could be twisted to serve their own propaganda purposes, with little regard for what the legislation actually says.

Either way, the document reflects poorly on the Liberty Counsel, and by extension Liberty University. We have a call in to Liberty Counsel Media Director Tessa Sturgill and will let you know what we hear from her.

To fight against the kind of blatant distortions being propagated by the Liberty Counsel and others, the White House has launched "Health Insurance Reform Reality Check," in which experts take on various pieces of misinformation being spread about the legislation.

Edited August 12, 2009 by fidei defensor

[Zoecool13]

This is why I don't trust any group and always do my own research which then allows for me to make my own thoughts and decisions.

Well, I take that back... when the Pope speaks, I usually trust what he says.

[Brother Adam]

The "facts" here cannot be necessarily trusted because once the bill passes, if it passes, it will be left up to a radically pro-death interpretive body of the government to decide what is covered and what will constitute end of life planning. Same with abortion.

[dairygirl4u2c]

sure there's some cause to be concerned, but nothing indicating anything signifciant.

sarah palin's a joke, there's nothing new here.
hopefully others will see that, not that she's gonna get anywhere anyway.
at least she provides comic relief...

Edited August 12, 2009 by dairygirl4u2c

[KnightofChrist]

The source of this article comes from a Far-left wing group.

[Era Might]

[quote name='fidei defensor' post='1946979' date='Aug 12 2009, 12:16 PM']As we already noted, it simply promotes advance care planning under the Medicare program by encouraging doctors to discuss with their patients advance directives such as living wills and durable powers of attorney -- legal documents that give individuals the power to state what they want in advance so that decision isn't left up to anyone else. You can read the entire bill with the pertinent page numbers here [pdf].[/quote]
I don't really know anything about all the technicalities involved with insurance, but something like this would bother me. I don't want the government giving "advice" about such things in legislative bills. Why does the government need to give "advice" to doctors?

[Hassan]

[quote name='Era Might' post='1946995' date='Aug 12 2009, 12:50 PM']I don't really know anything about all the technicalities involved with insurance, but something like this would bother me. I don't want the government giving "advice" about such things in legislative bills. Why does the government need to give "advice" to doctors?[/quote]


The government doesn't give any advice. It simply covers end of life consultation.

[Era Might]

[quote name='Hassan' post='1947007' date='Aug 12 2009, 01:17 PM']The government doesn't give any advice. It simply covers end of life consultation.[/quote]
How does "end of life consultation" differ from any other kind of consultation? If someone has a question, they can ask their doctor. I don't see why the government has to discuss "end of life consultation" in a legislative bill.

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='Era Might' post='1946995' date='Aug 12 2009, 11:50 AM']I don't really know anything about all the technicalities involved with insurance, but something like this would bother me. I don't want the government giving "advice" about such things in legislative bills. Why does the government need to give "advice" to doctors?[/quote]

The answer is a classic one, when ever the government 'gives' us certain securities they de facto deny us certain liberties and rights. If the way this Administration has treated GM and the banks is to be a lesson, the government will have a more powerful influence in running our lives should this bill become law.

Edited August 12, 2009 by KnightofChrist

[Hassan]

[quote name='Era Might' post='1947010' date='Aug 12 2009, 12:20 PM']How does "end of life consultation" differ from any other kind of consultation? If someone has a question, they can ask their doctor. I don't see why the government has to discuss "end of life consultation" in a legislative bill.[/quote]


I guess because it deals with legal issues such as the formulation of a living will as well as other specalized topics. I'd assume that the consulation is with a specalist and not the family doctor. Either way the idea of "death pannels" and all that is just utter non sense.

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='Hassan' post='1947016' date='Aug 12 2009, 12:24 PM']I guess because it deals with legal issues such as the formulation of a living will as well as other specalized topics. I'd assume that the consulation is with a specalist and not the family doctor. Either way the idea of "death pannels" and all that is just utter non sense.[/quote]

Depends on if granny's treatment is cost effective.

[Hassan]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' post='1947020' date='Aug 12 2009, 12:28 PM']Depends on if granny's treatment is cost effective.[/quote]



Cite me the specific part of the bill you base this on.

[Era Might]

[quote name='Hassan' post='1947016' date='Aug 12 2009, 12:24 PM']I guess because it deals with legal issues such as the formulation of a living will as well as other specalized topics. I'd assume that the consulation is with a specalist and not the family doctor.[/quote]
But it seems that the bill is requiring that such "consultation" be given. See page 425:

[quote]Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), the term ‘advance care planning consultation’ means a consultation between the individual and a practitioner described in paragraph (2) regarding advance care planning, if, subject to paragraph (3), the individual involved has not had such a consultation within the last 5 years. Such consultation shall include the following:[/quote]
It seems that this "advance care planning consultation" is being mandated. Am I reading this wrong?

[Hassan]

[quote name='Era Might' post='1947028' date='Aug 12 2009, 01:35 PM']But it seems that the bill is requiring that such "consultation" be given. See page 425:


It seems that this "advance care planning consultation" is being mandated. Am I reading this wrong?[/quote]


It looks to me like it's saying that in order for the consultation to be covered the individual must have not had such a consultation in the last five years. But it would help if we had more of the selection.

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='Hassan' post='1947025' date='Aug 12 2009, 12:33 PM']Cite me the specific part of the bill you base this on.[/quote]

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