Are “Death Panels” In Japan’s Healthcare Future?

Are “Death Panels” In Japan’s Healthcare Future?

Let elderly people ‘hurry up and die’, says Japanese minister

We’ve written many times here about our concerns about the national healthcare takeover act, known by most as “Obamacare” and misleadingly named  “the affordable care act”.  One of the concerns that many hold about nationalized healthcare is the worry that a group of politically-appointed bureaucrats would hold the power of life and death over healthcare decisions for Americans who aren’t members of some privileged group such as politicians, government employees or union members.  The phrase that has been used to describe this concern, “death panel”, has been vilified and derisively dismissed by those for whom nationalized healthcare cannot come soon enough.

Now comes the news that in another country, a political leader is very vocal in pushing his belief that “elderly people should hurry up and die” in order to save the country money on healthcare.  If that can happen in Japan, which is famously respectful of its elderly, what is to prevent it from happening in the United States, which is well-known for marginalizing its elderly citizens?

See the entire story at The Guardian.

 

Tim Colling
Tim Colling

Tim Colling is the founder and President of A Servant's Heart In-Home Care, which provided in-home caregiving services in San Diego County, and also of A Servant's Heart Geriatric Care Management, which provided
professional geriatric care management services and long term care placement services in San Diego County. Tim has more than 30 years of experience in management in a variety of industries. He held a Certified Care Manager credential from the National Academy of Certified Care Managers. Tim is also a Certified Public Accountant (retired), and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from California State University at San Diego. In addition to writing blog posts here for the Servant’s Heart blog, Tim also is a regular contributor to HealthLine.com and to FamilyAffaires.com as well as blogs of other eldercare services provider companies. Finally, Tim is also the president of A Servant's Heart Web Design and Marketing, which provides home care marketing as well as website design and online marketing for those who serve the elderly and their families.

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