Obama Key Health Care Advisers Not Friendly to Seniors or Disabled

Betsy McCaughey, a former New York Lieutenant Governor, in a piece to the New York Post exposes the philosophy and attitudes of two key Obama health care advisers to those who are older or who have disabilities. Their views and writings are chilling and give substance to apprehension felt by older Americans about Obamacare.

The first is Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who blows the cover on rhetoric being used by the Obama administration to “sell” Obamacare. He wrote in February of 2008 regarding health care reform that: “Vague promises of savings from cutting waste, enhancing prevention and wellness, installing electronic medical records and improving quality are merely ‘lipstick’ cost control, more for show and public relations than for true change.”

In 1996, Emanuel wrote that medical care should be reserved for those “who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens…” This could include a whole host of people ranging from those with disabilities to Alzheimer’s patients.

Dr. David Blumenthal, another adviser, believes that medical innovation should be slowed, conceding that this will be accompanied by longer waits at the doctor’s office. As Obama’s coordinator for health information technology, Blumenthal is in charge of sending guidelines to doctors electronically about government’s beliefs on what is appropriate care, writes McCaughey.

If Obamacare calls for $500 billion in Medicare cuts over 10 years, as has been reported, what does it mean to seniors? Who will impose the cuts — Congress or bureaucrats not accountable to the public? How does this fit with the Obama team rhetoric that you and your doctor will be in charge? Do they think Americans are dummies?

Read the complete piece here.

Barbara Lyons