I posted this on my Facebook page and thought it was relevant enough to post here as well.

A friend of mine forwarded to me an E mail and the subject line was “Seniors Beware – Read This” and it contained a supposedly true account of a senior who went to Danbury Hospital in Danbury, CT and on arriving was told his important cardiology tests had been canceled because Medicare was no longer covering them.

I continued to read and there was another story that referenced a doctor at a Tennessee facility who said oh, yes, Medicare is cutting services. Also not true.
The tone and rhetoric were indignant and outraged, a classic device to incite fear and persuade the reader of the truth of the statements. The accounts, however, were so full of holes that I knew immediately that this was a right wing diatribe against the health care act.

It also revisited the “death panel” charges that Sarah Palin made so much about during the 2008 campaign. These so-called “death panels” were consultations between patient, family, and doctor, that the plan would pay for if the family wanted to discuss a terminal patient’s care. The consultations were intended to be comforting and informative and were in no way designed to force the death of the patient which was the right wing claim. But of course Palin distorted their true intent and kept mouthing off about Obama wanting to “get rid of granny.” I think the pressure was great enough that this humane and useful service was written out of the bill that was passed.

I wrote my objections and my friend responded that he wouldn’t mislead me. No, but he can get it wrong and in all sincerity spread misinformation. So, knowing my word wasn’t good enough (yeah, go figure), I looked this up on Snopes and they had it all.

Please use this link: https://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/over75.asp

Also, please send this link to any friend who forwards this E mail to you believing it to be true.

I am astonished that crap (on Facebook I said "stuff" because I wanted to be graceful) that makes the rounds is so rarely questioned. It’s so easy to learn the truth. Or maybe it’s just easier to think “I am a victim and it is the President’s fault.”

I haven't heard back from my friend and that bothers me because he should own up that he didn't have the facts.

xx, Teal

P.S. I would have liked to post the link in a way that it could be clicked on and immediately accessed, but don't now how. Can anyone tell me how to do this? It's worth, copying and pasting into your browser.