Last week, the Obama administration reversed rules set up by Medicare officials in November that would have reimbursed doctors when they had annual end-of-life planning discussions with their government-insured patients. The quick reversal, according to The New York Times, was likely the result of the president’s desire to limit public oppositionto the health care bill that passed… [Read more…]
November 4, 2010
Reuters reports that Christians in Iraq are being targeted by militants who seek their expulsion from the country. “With al-Qaeda declaring war on Christians in Iraq and no end to political instability in sight, Catholic experts on the Middle East fear the fate of the minority Christian community there will only worsen.” The country is… [Read more…]
February 11, 2010
No, I’m not saying America is dying a slow death because of our weakened economy and fractious political process. Two pieces over at The Atlantic remind me that hope is a Christian virtue with relevance in these tough times as well as throughout the Christian life. At the end of life, hope is important–not in… [Read more…]
August 12, 2009
In its face, there is nothing wrong with the government encouraging doctors to have end of life discussions. After all, doctors are notoriously bad at having those discussions and following through on the decisions reached. (In one major study, “only 47% of physicians knew when their patients preferred to avoid CPR; 46% of do-not-resuscitate (DNR)… [Read more…]
August 12, 2009
“It’s only when the tide goes out,” says Warren Buffett, “that you learn who’s been swimming naked.” For a good long time, the American health care system had its drawers down, but it didn’t matter too much. HillaryCare was summarily dismissed in the early ’90s. The problems it might have fixed weren’t felt badly enough.… [Read more…]
August 12, 2009
President Obama’s budget calls for a decrease in the amount of tax savings that wealthy donors (those who earn more than $250,000 per year) can claim after giving to charity. The budget estimates the new rule would bring in about $318 billion over ten years. This means that those in the 33% or 35% tax… [Read more…]
January 9, 2011
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