New York Against Assisted Suicide : October 2018

"New York Against Assisted Suicide adds its voice in opposition to the Palliative and Hospice Care Education and Training Act. Here's why:

New York Against Assisted Suicide
together with other organizations and
private concerned citizens, who have
felt the brunt of abuse and fraud through
the medicare and medicare system,
presented a voice of opposition to the
HR 1676 / S. 693 Bill.

Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act, S. 693 & H.R. 1676 (aka PaCHETA) is a federal Bill that will increase major funds to a Medicare system. The funds will go towards schools of medicine and osteopathic medicine and many other businesses including non profit organizations that involve hospice and palliative care. The House voted and passed this Bill with a 'voice vote' on July 23, 2018. Only 7 days later, on July 30, the Office of Inspector General at the HHS, published a report called "Vulnerabilities in the Medicare Hospice Program Affect Quality Care and Program Integrity: An OIG Portfolio.
The portfolio is the result of a 10 year study which showed inappropriate billing, misinformation to patients and to families, misplacement of patients into unnecessary programs without the patients' nor families' knowledge, plus more. The OIG report recommends:

"Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implement 15 specific actions that relate to 7 areas for improvement. CMS should strengthen the survey process—its primary tool to promote compliance—to better ensure that hospices provide beneficiaries with needed services and quality care. CMS should also seek statutory

authority to establish additional remedies for hospices with poor performance." 2018 OIG report

So what is the problem with this bill and how would it affect New York?

The first and major problem of this bill is that the medicare system is currently rift with fraud and abuse. This is not news to New Yorkers. 1* 2* 3*

When NYAgainstAS viewed the Congressional Bill, the OIG report together with the knowledge of activities going on in New York, (the push for assisted suicide/euthanasia under the guise of 'palliative care') doctors who are known for their support of assisted suicide/euthanasia bills are also heads of their founding 'Palliative care' programs " the sounding alarm went off.

While many abuses and fraud already occur under the medicare and medicaid system

in New York State as well as across the nation, with millions of tax payers dollars involved, not only through the act of fraud but then also through tax money in the court system to correct and bring to justice those who commit the violations, it befuddles NY Against AS as to why the House would want to throw more money into the malfunctioning system. The way NY Against AS sees it, the Palliative Care system flares dangerously on both ends: on one end, by fraud and abuse through bad, dishonest citizens, while on the other end, by unethical forces that push for Assisted Suicide/Euthansia.

New York Against Assisted Suicide urges everyone to send letters to the Senators in Congress listed below, warning them of the great danger involved with increased funding toward Palliative Care and Hospice, if the Bill is passed. Urge the Senators to instead correct the mal-functioning window of Medicare and Medicaid abuse now.

Tell Congressional Senators to Vote 'NO' on the Palliative and Hospice Care Education and Training Act, Senate Bill 693, aka the "PACHETA" Bill in the Senate.

Write to:

Committee on Health, Education, labor and Pensions:

Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions -
428 Senate Dirksen Office Building, Washington, DC 20510

202-224-5375

Lamar Alexander (TN)

455 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510

(202) 224-4944

Michael B. Enzi (WY)

379A Russell Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510

Richard Burr (NC)

217 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510

(202) 224-3154

Johnny Isakson (GA)