http://assistedsuicide.org/blog/2006/08/06/move-in-us-congress-to-ban-doctor-assisted-suicide/ Weblog of Derek Humphry, Founder of Hemlock Society Sun, 20 Jul 2008 16:32:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 http://assistedsuicide.org/blog/2006/08/06/move-in-us-congress-to-ban-doctor-assisted-suicide/#comment-895 Tom Preston, MD Wed, 16 Aug 2006 19:21:58 +0000 http://assistedsuicide.org/blog/?p=89#comment-895 The comment about insurance companies encouraging people to prematurely end their lives is worse than nonsense--it is a false claim debunked several years ago by a study published in the NEJM, by a staunch opponent of aid in dying (Emanuel) and a staunch proponent (Battin). And, as I point out in "Patient-Directed Dying," no insurance company could entice any physicians to save costs in this way without being found out, which would be the ruination of the company. Brownback's comment is yet another example of someone making a serious accusation for political purposes, without any knowledge of the issue. It's disgraceful, but then, what else is new? The comment about insurance companies encouraging people to prematurely end their lives is worse than nonsense–it is a false claim debunked several years ago by a study published in the NEJM, by a staunch opponent of aid in dying (Emanuel) and a staunch proponent (Battin). And, as I point out in “Patient-Directed Dying,” no insurance company could entice any physicians to save costs in this way without being found out, which would be the ruination of the company. Brownback’s comment is yet another example of someone making a serious accusation for political purposes, without any knowledge of the issue. It’s disgraceful, but then, what else is new?

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