Health care rationing a good thing say Republicans...if it saves money & protects doctors and hospitals!

Warnings of health care rationing and death panels by the Republicans Party has turned out to be more of the same, "projection." Bureaucratic meddling only works if you're a Republican.

It’s actually something Republicans have had in the works for some time, and it's something they've rationalized as a good thing. Perhaps “rationalization” should be mentioned more often when describing conservative contradictions.

Anytime State Sen. Glenn Grothman is involved, with tag along former bad weather man Rep. Jim Ott, you know somebody’s going to get hurt or die.

Both want to ration a doctors advice, by not requiring physicians to fully explain a patients treatment options as declared by the state Supreme Court:

Post Crescent: Doctors would not be required to give patients as much information about alternative treatments available to them under a Republican-sponsored bill on a fast track … reaction to a 2012 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that said a doctor’s “informed consent” duty includes telling a patient about medical tests and treatments that may be appropriate for a patient’s symptoms, even if the doctor doesn't believe the patient has the underlying condition or disease. Ott/Grothman said the 4-3 Supreme Court ruling was likely to increase medical costs and result in “defensive medicine.”

And who knows, may even save a life or two? The health care industry doesn't like it so...there’s nothing worse than “defensive medicine.” 

Patient’s aren't the focus of Ott and Grothman, oddly enough. These are our supposed representatives,right? So how horrible is the current standard, and why does it need to be changed so quickly? 

Their proposal would change the law from a “reasonable patient standard” to a “reasonable physician standard.” The law currently requires a doctor to inform the patient about the availability of all alternate, viable medical modes of treatment and the benefits and risks associated with those, with some exceptions. The current law doesn’t require doctors to overwhelm patients with details that may not be important, it simply requires they be given information they would want to know.

Democratic lawmakers oppose the measure, saying the current law protects patient rights. “The consumer being given knowledge is a good thing, particularly when you’re making decisions about your own body,” said Democratic state Rep. Dana Wachs.

And like everything done by Republicans, who often complain when Democrats are in power that not enough time was given for a full debate and public input, “Ott is moving quickly on the bill.”