re: #299 Danny

A legit concern if you ask me. From HR3200 p. 421-432:

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of re-
porting data on quality measures for covered
professional services furnished during 2011 and
any subsequent year, to the extent that meas-
ures are available, the Secretary shall include
quality measures on end of life care and ad-
vanced care planning that have been adopted or
endorsed by a consensus-based organization, if
appropriate. Such measures shall measure both
the creation of and adherence to orders for life-
sustaining treatment.

‘‘(B) PROPOSED SET OF MEASURES.—The
Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register
proposed quality measures on end of life care
and advanced care planning that the Secretary
determines are described in subparagraph (A)
and would be appropriate for eligible profes-
sionals to use to submit data to the Secretary.
The Secretary shall provide for a period of pub-
lic comment on such set of measures before fi-
nalizing such proposed measures.’’.

Do you understand that all this provision does is add to the data already required to be reported by health care providers under the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative which was part of the 2006 Tax Relief and Health Care Act enacted, obviously, under the Bush administration?

It has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the government making medical decisions. NOTHING.