Jeb Bush: Free hospice care? Screw that.

[Cyrano]

The Florida legislature has passed, and Jeb Bush is getting ready to sign, a bill that allows hospices to be for-profit entities.

Currently, hospice care in Florida is free to anyone who requires it. Over the years, I've had two relatives pass away in hospices and nowhere have I ever seen a group of more dedicated, loving, caring, kinder human beings than those who work in hospices.

Florida hospices are currently non-profit institutions. But Jeb and his buddies are changing that. After all, why let people die for nothing when you can make a profit from it?

The Republicans in Florida, Washington DC, and just about everyplace else in the country have shown us how ugly a so-called civilized society can get in pursuit of profits. I guess the only thing they forgot to add to this bill is the required harvesting of any usable organs, but I'm sure they'll get around to that when it occurs to them.

At some point, one has to put away the newspapers and turn off the TV "news." The rage and hatred that have built up in me over the past six years are not healthy. The problem is, I'm afraid of what they'll do if I don't pay attention.

[babylonsister]

1. That'll go over really well in FL, with all the retired people there. But

I imagine Jeb doesn't give a damn as he's not up for reelection.

I've never heard of hospice care not being free, and benefitted from
that care in 1990 when my mom was dying of cancer.

[Quakerfriend]

2. Yes, they truly are down and dirty. And, I'm sure the repugs are

somehow involved in the very lucrative illegal harvesting of organs that is already going on.

Hospice is covered by Medicare here in Pa.

[BOSSHOG]

3. No nod for Euthanasia because "conservatives" value life so much

As our elderly relatives (soon to be us) wither away to nothingness in hospice care the cash registers will ring out as the profiteers do what they can to keep us alive. I'm constantly amazed at their "values system."

[Not Me]

4. My Dad's last few months were spent under Hospice care...

They are angels from above. The care and love that they provided were beyond words. Somehow I can't imagine it a good thing to commercialize this.

[Cyrano]

5. Yes, they are angels.

And I've discovered that the opposite of an angel is not a devil. It is a Republican (and some Dems).

[Ganja Ninja]

6. If they're not making a profit they can't contribute to the GOP!

Forget about all that love and caring stuff. We need to set some priorities.:sarcasm:

[LibDemAlways]

7. Given a choice, slimeball repuke politicians

would prefer to tie the terminally ill to a railroad track. However, I suppose allowing some corporate wienies to enrich their bottom line off the sick and dying is the next best thing. Compassion is not a word found in the repuke dictionary.

As an aside, there is a hotly contested state assembly race here in my Calif. district. All the Dem candidates are talking health care and looking for ways to get more people insured. The repuke who is running, on the other hand, has gone on the record with his belief that health care is not a right. Says it all, doesn't it?

[wicket]

8. Hospice was amazing with my 10 year old cousin when he passed last fall

He had an inoperable brain tumor, and hospice was such a huge help and took off a lot of the stress of caring for him so we could spend quality time with him in his final days. Rest in peace my little angel :cry:

[lonestarnot]

9. Let him have free hospice care! LOL I'm sure he will find many sponsors

here.

[teenagebambam]

10. Here's a link....

... to the body of the bill.
http://www.flsenate.gov/data/session/2006/House/bills/billtext/pdf/h141704er.pdf

And the opinion of my sister, who I emailed in a panic. (she's an RN in Florida)

"Many organizations/ facilities are now providing palliative care to terminal patients, including hospitals and nursing homes. My own hospital, (a not- for- profit) recently closed its palliative unit because it was not a money maker (according to two of the nurses from that unit who were transferred to my unit). Just because palliative care is called "hospice" care does not mean it is associated with the Hospice organization, which services, I suspect, will always be provided free of charge to those who cannot afford them. (Insurance companies and Medicare ARE currently billed for those services, however. But the patient is not charged the balance.) The term "hospice" is just more commonly understood by the general public than "palliative care", and if a for-profit nursing home or hospital chooses to add "hospice services" to its laundry list, I have no problem with it, as they may be able to provide better care than the not-for-profit hospice organizations, who, believe it or not, sometimes don't do such a good job. And if they can make money doing it, God bless them, so long as the patients and families understand the distinction."

11. the hypocricy is unbelievable

Even the republicans should see through these fools.

[MissB]

12. Gawd. They want to squeeze every last dime, don't they?

Obviously they aren't really pro-life. I'm betting we'll see an uptick in the number of elderly suicides.