I was wrong

“You said there is the provision that divides the amount of money a particular procedure will cost by your life expectancy to arrive at a formula that tells government officials whether or not you get the procedure. Where did you see this provision and where can it be seen now?”

It sent me back to review (what I could) of the plan, and found no such formula. The equation I was referring to was part of cost containment efforts at the United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. The organization has denied drugs that doctors desperately want on the ground they’e too expensive for the benefits they provide. They cap end-of-life care at $22,000 if the patient is expected to live less than six months. In this country, the administration established its Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research (sounds like something straight out of an Ayn Rand novel). The Wall Street Journal notes, “The Administration’s new Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research currently lacks the authority of [its British counterpart]. But over time, if the Obama plan passes and taxpayer costs inevitably soar, it could quickly gain it.”

I apologize for last week’s incorrect information, especially given the hyper-charged environment in which we currently reside. But I’ll ask again – does any of this make you feel better?