Americans are among the most compassionate people on Earth. We all want our fellow citizens to have access to quality health care. Who argues with that sentiment? In this context, government compassion sounds so noble. But the fact remains: Whoever pays holds the power to choose. There lies the rub.
Though often missed, the fundamental question at the center of today's health care debate is: Who should control the personal and complex process of medical decision-making? Patients and their physicians? Or Washington? Barbara Wagner was a patient under the Oregon Health Plan, a government-run plan similar to what Washington is proposing for the rest of the country. After two years in remission, Ms. Wagner's lung cancer returned. Her oncologist recommended treatment with Tarceva, an aggressive new chemotherapy. However, the Oregon Health Plan sent Ms. Wagner a letter stating that it would not pay for her chemotherapy. Instead, it offered to pay for hospice or physician-assisted suicide.
