Political Quotes

“I appreciate that, Dr. Fleming. Thank you for your comments. I just thought I'd make a few comments of my own about your discussion of the IPAB board and make sure that the American people know what this is. The Independent Payment Advisory Board is a board of bureaucrats appointed by the President, without appeal, that will determine whether or not procedures, if they are overpriced, will be available to the American people. I've talked to patients in many difficult situations, where I have had a very sick patient and have taken care of the patient myself and the patient's family, where difficult decisions are being made affecting the life or death of the patient. These decisions are not easy to make. You have to discuss the alternatives with the patient and with the patient's family; and usually, through the coordination of what the patient wants, with what the physician recommends and in discussion with the family, we come to a decision. The Independent Payment Advisory Board may decide completely differently from what we decide. Certainly, some patients deserve different types of care: palliative care rather than aggressive care, comfort care measures versus complete major surgery.…”