Today's Chicago Tribune carried two articles that indicate the drum beat has begun.
The first article was a major, major spread discussing how cancer and other screenings for seniors are costly and unnecessary. The argument goes that the screenings are for early detection of a cancer, but the elderly are already past the age where early detection is useful.
The second article reports that some ambulance services are raising fees for obese patients. The argument goes that it costs more to handle an overweight person, so why not charge for the extra cost.
Basic changes such as these are the intent of the proposed health care legislation. The idea is to transform medical care from a compassionate basis to one controlled by the government under cost-control guidelines. And so in these cases, for instance, who decides if a person is too old or too heavy? Why the government, of course, who will quickly establish 'best practices' guidelines to ensure compliance with their judgement.
It is simply astounding that the Church leaders and hierarchy don't have a clue about what the coming legislation proposes to do. The leaders are focused in on what the legislators say the legislation is: reform medical care, make medical care available to all, etc. But that is all misdirection, even if some worthy changes are made. The real aim of those behind this legislation is establish once and for all that cost-control and cost-reduction govern health care.
If they are successful health care will dramatically change for the faithful and everyone else. The elderly and the critically ill will feel the effect most quickly and most tragically.
Pray for the dawn of insight in those who lead the Catholic world that they may see what is actually happening and do something about it.
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