I have just read the so called “Death Panel” section of the proposed Health Care Reform Bill HR 3200 and here are my findings. First the section is named “Advance Care Planning Consultation”, which basically means that this section focuses on the patient’s right to make decisions about their health care and further highlights the person’s access to all information he or she may need to make those decisions. This most feared portion of the health care bill works in the following ways. 1. It encourages the practitioner/doctor to explain all treatments available to the patient as well as providing a list of people the patient might wish to consult with concerning their health and end of life care. 2. It provides the patient access to all available knowledge concerning living wills and powers of attorney; this information is provided by the doctor and the physician must explain the details in depth. 3. It provides the patient with information about the role and responsibilities of a health care proxy which is an individual assigned by a patient to make health care decisions for them. 4. This section further supplies the patient with heath care and end of life resources such as the national toll-free hotline number for Advance care planning as well as information about state legal service organizations. 5. Section 1233 also provides information about the scope of end of life services available to the patient, including palliative and hospice care. 6. This section in addition, provides the patient with information concerning all life-sustaining treatments plus instructions on why this information is needed. As you can see, the term “Death Panel” is never mentioned or implied, thus those who are proclaiming that some how this bill is going to kill grandma or grandpa are doing so because they are politically motivated by their investors. In conclusion, I would be foolish to say that I agree with every word in this section; I believe that many parts should be reworded to clear up some misconceptions but overall the legislation does not promote euthanasia but it does promote a better relationship between the patient and doctor and in my opinion it also decreases medical costs because it gives all heath care authority to the patient and if this provision is removed, it will in fact diminish the quality of health care for under this article, doctors are forced to provide all necessary information to the patient, including all advancements in medical technology which could prolong life.