April 25, 2024
end of life issues

We’ll pay you to die, but not to live

Michael Cook

Oregon offers cancer victims a choice

Is this a
case of bureaucratic madness or bureaucratic thrift? The state health insurer
in the American state of Oregon is denying patients funding for chemotherapy if
their chances of survival for another five years are less than five percent.
However, they have another option. Assisted suicide is legal in Oregon. So the
Oregon Health Plan sent letters to at least two patients saying that cancer
medication would not be covered but that doctor-assisted suicide would.

“I think
it’s messed up,” 64-year-old Barbara Wagner told the Register-Guard newspaper.
“To say to someone, we’ll pay for you to die, but not pay for you to live, it’s
cruel.” And 53-year-old Randy Stroup received the same response when he was
denied medication for his prostate cancer. "It dropped my chin to the
floor," Mr Stroup said. "[How could they] not pay for medication that
would help my life, and yet offer to pay to end my life?"

"It’s
chilling when you think about it," Dr William Toffler, a lecturer at
Oregon Health & Science University and the national director of Physicians for Compassionate Care, told Fox News. "It
absolutely conveys to the patient that continued living isn’t worthwhile… It
corrupts the consistent medical ethic that has been in place for 2,000
years."

Oregon
health bureaucrats were jolted by the reactions of the two patients. “I
understand the way it was interpreted,” said Dr John Sattenspiel. “I’m not sure
how we can lift that. The reality is, at some level [doctor-assisted suicide]
could be considered as a palliative or comfort care measure. We had no intent
to upset [Barbara Wagner] but we do need to point out the options available to
her under the Oregon Health Plan.” ~ Register-Guardian, June 3;
Fox News, July 28

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2 thoughts on “We’ll pay you to die, but not to live”

  1. The Victorian parliament in Australia, is currently debating a bill similar to Oregon law.

    What the proponents don’t understand is beyond the single case of legalised assistance in suicide, gradually a whole culture of death begins to grow in what was a safe and trusted profession…and this death culture creeps into everything, finances, family relationships and normal aged care facilities.

    If you know anyone in Vic, Aus…alert them to the vote date 20th August upper house.

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