Posted on Fri, Nov. 20, 2009
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin early Friday morning greeted news that reviewed guidelines scale back screenings for cervical cancer by asking if bureaucratic panels were already rationing care.
“The recommendation from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists comes on the heels of another recommendation to limit breast cancer screenings with mammograms. There are many questions unanswered for me, but one which immediately comes to mind is whether costs have anything to do with these recommendations,” Palin wrote in a post on her Facebook page.
“The current health care debate elicits great concern because of its introduction of socialized medicine in America and the inevitable rationed care,” she continued. “We need to carefully watch this debate as it coincides with Capitol Hill’s debate and determine whether we are witnessing the early stages of that rationed care before the Senate bill is rushed through as well.”
Palin first waded into health care debate in August, announcing that Democrats would create so-called “death panels” to decide end of life care decisions for the elderly. The claim was widely disputed and debunked by the White House and congressional leaders.
The ex-governor did not wade into “death panels” territory on Friday, but did float the suggestion that Democrats have already begun to ration care in order to pay for health care reform.
“Obviously the first thought that comes to mind when hearing of these new recommendations from bureaucratic panels is ‘rationed care,’” Palin wrote. “It’s fair – and healthy – to ask if that’s what Washington has in mind with a government-controlled takeover of a health care system.”
Palin also encouraged supporters to consider “why these women-focused cancers are seemingly receiving substandard attention at a time when proactive health and fitness should be the message.”
“Every woman should encourage rigorous debate to ensure that our collective voices are heard. We are paying attention to Washington’s health care proposals, and we want to hear what helps patients the most,” Palin wrote. “We need answers: Is early screening not saving lives? Why do doctors’ groups disagree? Did costs play any role in these decisions to change the recommendations on breast and cervical cancer screenings?”
“We need assurances that everything we’ve heard this week about fewer tests for women’s cancers is a result of patient-focused research and providing the best care for the right reasons, and not because of bureaucratic pressure to control costs,” she added.
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