Ezra Klein, by far the best source of commentary on domestic and health policy, has posted an interview with Senator Johnny Isakson on the rumors circulating about euthanasia and end-of-life care in the house bill.

What is being talked about is a provision in the house bill, similar to that in medicaid and medicare, that covers a voluntary consultation with a physician to create an advanced directive. In an advanced directive, you indicate the kinds of medical decisions you want to be made in the case that you become unable to make decisions. For instance, you may write that if you suffer brain death, you don’t want to end up on a respirator and feeding tube indefinitely. Or you may write that you want everything possible done in every possible scenario.

The bottom line is, a voluntary consultation to write an advanced directive is NOT, in Sarah Palin’s words, a “death panel” that will determine who will be euthanised by the socialist State.

We will be lucky to get any sort of health care bill covered, since public rhetoric is at best 30 years behind the learning curve.