Jonathan Cohn Tells Colbert: Your Insurance Policy Has A "Death Panel" (VIDEO)

Jonathan Cohn made a clear, concise case for health care reform on "The Colbert Report" Tuesday night.

Asked why he wanted to "kill grandma" with a death panel, Cohn responded: "There are no death panels ... I find this really obscene." He whipped out the "Colbert Report" policy and pointed out that included end-of-life counseling. When Cohn said that health insurance reform would actually help the sick and disabled, not kill them, Colbert responded, "You're just playing the sick and disabled card."

Cohn concluded that the huge amount of waste in the health care system means there's "more than enough money" to cover the uninsured.

Watch:

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Comments

[zeltar]

Great job Mr Cohn! Health reform will be passed and we will have the PUBLIC OPTION!

[ratmonkey1]

Hi zeltar. Isn't it great to have an intelligent person like Mr. Cohn explain
in simple terms health-care reform. It's rare because Americans will
not listen to the truth & millions are a bit dimwited. I''m 76 years old.
A disabled vet with health insurance up the wazoo. I got mine so those
who oppose a new health-care policy & have theirs like I do are okay
in my book. It's always been an American tradition to vilify those who
have squat & health insurance is no exception. I'm all set so those
who are not, tough. :-)

[BulwerLytton]

(Legislation signed into law by then Texas governor GEORGE W. BUSH)

"If an attending physician refuses to honor a patient's advance directive or a health care or treatment decision made by or on behalf of a patient, the physician's refusal shall be reviewed by an ethics or medical committee."

So if a patient or his/her family don't agree with the physician, it goes before a board to decide the patient's fate. AND:

"If the attending physician, the patient, or the person responsible for the health care decisions of the individual does not agree with the decision reached ... the physician shall make a reasonable effort to transfer the patient to a physician who is willing to comply with the directive. If the patient is a patient in a health care facility, the facility's personnel shall assist the physician in arranging the patient's transfer..."

And if the panel decides against these residents?

"A person does not commit an offense under Section 22.08, Penal Code, by withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment from a qualified patient in accordance with this subchapter."

Don't take my word for it. Read it yourself: (For Deathers: these are called F-A-C-T-S)
http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/HS/content/htm/hs.002.00.000166.00.htm

The original source that started me looking was the blog "Daily Kos". Read it here:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/8/12/765464/-Dubyas-1999-Texas-death-panel

[bibb]

Can this be played at some of these loony town halls? People need to lighten up and listen to what is true vs the propaganda put out by the insurance industry.

[justobserve]

Good idea! While people are waiting for the debate to start, there should be a few examples of what lies being said to derail the reform to highlight their nonsense.

[TLV]

I still cannot fathom why any of the hosting groups of the town hall meetings do not post warnings against rowdy behavior at the door. The warning should read that shouting, accusations, and threats will NOT be tolerated. If these offenses should occur, the perpetrator(s) WILL be ejected from the room. This warning could also be announced at the start and reinforced should the need arise.

[Social Construct]

I googled health care reform yesterday to try and do some comparative research of the positive and negative aspects of care provided by other industrialized nations. My experience was that most of the references provided were American insurance "information" sites, private right wing blogs and other private industry lobbies. Of course, this was just a broad and unrefined search. My point is how overwhelming, perhaps because of unlimited resources, the insurance industry's attempt to frame this national debate over health care is. Most of my right leaning friends do not go beyond getting information about social issues than what I did, if that. It's sort of scary how information on important issues can be so manipulated in order to whip up ill-informed people with no desire to compare real and more objective information.

[TalkingOutLoud]

Ah, those 'unlimited resources' are really our premiums at work and interest paid by their buddies over in the banking industry. They have us wrapped up because we pay them to pay the lobbyist that the government uses to help write insurance and banking laws. There are no third neutral parties sitting at the table with enough power to say no.

Forget the laws and courts (they simply enforce the laws on the books); it's our voices and steadfastness that will need to be used to fight this. When we hear someone wavering, we've got to remind them that no president, congressperson, senator, can solve this without the public being mentally tough enough and willing to see this through to the end.

Insurance, banking, wall street; they all depend of our willingness to sleep our lives away. The striving to be middle-class is the joke of the century, its the carrot they've put out there; in fact, that's the sleepiest group of all; they think they're somewhere, when really they should take a long close look at their pay checks; someone else is signing it, you're among the working class and you need to wake up, stay awake, and fight this fight too.

And you the rich (not wealthy) are fooling yourselves into thinking they've made it; your riches are conditional and controlled - check the signature on your checks, its not yours - welcome to the fight, its your fight too!

[EvoMan]

We ration healthcare in this country in the worst way. By weath. I'f you're not wealthy enough, you don't get healthcare.

[obamaluv]

Health care is rationed now. It will be rationed no matter the system. The question is who do you want doing the rationing. Making the decisions. You may trust this administration but what about the next one or the one after that.

[TLV]

Thinking it is an agenda to do some kind of harm is your first mistake. But I can understand why you have trepidations after the last 8 years.

When millions are left without coverage due to the extenuating circumstances mentioned by Mr. Cohn, the rest of us end up paying for their emergency room treatment via higher deductibles and steep rates charged by the insurance companies that ultimately pay the hospitals.

[Bozwellian]

WHY do FEW to NONE mention the COST TO BUSINESSES ? Yes , they DO get a tax break but NOT all THEIR expense of the benfit is covered and is why THEY choose to scale down the benfit to employee's as well as shift MORE OF THE COSTS TO EMPLOYEE"s ...ARE NONE DOING THEIR VERY OWN MATH ? OUT OF POCKET and CO-CHARE payments have risen as well as indeed many have been hit with REFUSALS of care due to PRE EXISTING CONDITIONS CLAIMED and then there is the problem of CAPS--ONCE HIT< NO MORE COVERAGE even if you are still paying the insurance monthly premiuum and good luck when job loss or job changes and woe to ANY with pre existing in those circumstances especially !!! WHY are folks NOT examining just what changes have already be instigated and NOT in THEIR FAVOR ?!!!

[Bozwellian]

Have a problem with the UTTER UNREALISTIC ditherings going on and few of the dithering vocer's have bothered to REALLY check their own ACTUAL COVEAGE they presently hold and what limitations they are actually subject to !! WHY WOULD THEY NOT NOT WANT ACTUAL HEALTH CARE REFORM that WORKS IN THEIR OWN BEST INTERESTS ? An why are they so callous when it comes to those that are indeed caught UNABLE to GET health insurance access or coverage...!!! Need to heed," do unto others as would have done unto you"--too many ignorring that masterful wisdom !!!

[ramblingjohnny]

Colbert is in trouble he use to make fun of the right wing loony by acting even more loony but now the real loon have manage to out loon Colbert!

[elizlucinda]

Ramblingjo­hnny...you are rambling! Try to stay focused

[lesterbud]

Actually he is making a very valid point.

It is hard for Colbert to mock the actions of the ultra-conservatives when they have gone so irrationally maniacal. He tried kittens, sex with Alligators, shooting audience members, but the Beck-fed loonies keep upping the ante.

[TLV]

True - he'll have trouble keeping up with the millions who seem bent on portraying themselves as nutty as possible. The religious right, the neo-Nazis, and the pro-torture crowd are to blame for the lack of decorum in our society today.

[demfriend]

when people of all ages are declared to be persons without an expected long life according to the insurance companies now, they are cut off from treatment that might prolong or even save their lives. Happens all the time and has for years and yet who is screaming about that in these town halls? These elderly, and I will be polite, idiots scream in these town halls about their lives being cut short by some imarinary "death panel" have they had anyone be told they will no longer be treated and not heard this being said? Did they just agree with the doctor, insurance companies, that this was it for their loved one or was it give up time for them? I heard it for my father and my daughter. The death panel we have had for all these years already is a clerk at best and maybe a nurse if you question it. The deal of the medicare paying for "end of life counseling" is not a death panel. The people need to change their News(?) channel from Faux.......

[LMPE]

Stephen Colbert doesn't have to make anything up in his portrayal of right wing firebrands.

[Zen0469]

Clever retorts by quick thinking guest Jonathan Cohn. Enjoyed the segment.

[lazercat2008]

What? I was only half listening. I really don't understand this health care thingy. I just know it's going to be run like the DMV and cost a fortune leading us into socialism and stuff.

[RobHughey]

LOL... I'm going to have to fave you Lazercat. I've enjoyed your particular kind of wit in several different articles tonight. :)

[elizlucinda]

Yeah me too....you have provided comic relief in the sandbox of loonyism

[charlot]

...and don't forget that Obama and his Death Squad want to kill your grandma (after he turns everybody gay and takes away their guns and bibles).

I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK!

[dauntingideas]

If you give Ann Coulter the chance, she will actually jump on the death panel. Complete with her own list and everything!

http://dauntingideas.com/content/ann-coulter-will-be-death-panel-and-has-her-own-list

[elizlucinda]

Yup..she did it.....oh yeah...you already knew that!!!!! lol

[bluecollarblogger]

I love it Cobert demonstrates just how ridiculous and hilarious the arguments against healthcare reform really are! If this issue was not so important the ignorance demonstrated would be comical.

[yungstar]

Healthcare in America is so jacked up right now that many savvy people who currently have pressing medical needs are saying:
"BUMP america and our current WACK healthcare system! I'm flying to Spain or India for my medical procedure b/c my GREAT CORPORATE RUN HEALTH INSURANCE won't cover but only 60% of the total medical expense b/c it's Out of Network,or worse, b/c the UHC, Aetna, Humana, or BCBS physican panel doesn't consider the operation "Medically Necessary" or worser "that med procedure code isn't covered under your policy, or worst, customer service keeps transferring you from dept to dept hoping you finally give up and just hang up the phone!"

Yes guys, it's called Medical Tourism..look it up. Foreign countries continue to capitalize on our ego driven ignorance, pride, greed, and selfishness. But you know what? As along as America continues to be stubborn, I have no problem giving foreigners my business.....

[NancyCinNY]

Why don't you go in network?

[00Ruth7]

To Sarah Palin and the GOP:

Where can I join a death panel?
Can i download the application from the Internet?