Palin's death panel remarks were based on the ideas of Betsy McCaughey.Jim Dwyer, August 25, 2009. The New York Times, "Distortions on Health Bill, Homegrown"Angie Drobnic Holan, PolitiFact's Lie of the Year. Accessed August 5, 2010. During 2009, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin wrote against alleged rationing, referring to what by her interpretation was a "downright evil" "death panel" in current reform legislation known as H.R. 3200 Section 1233. However, Palin supported similar end of life discussion and advance directives for patients in 2008. Defenders of the plan indicated that the proposed legislation H.R. 3200 would allow Medicare for the first time to cover patient-doctor consultations about end-of-life planning, including discussions about drawing up a living will or planning hospice treatment. Patients could seek out such advice on their own, but would not be required to. The provision would limit Medicare coverage to one consultation every five years. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who sponsored the H.R. 3200 end of life counseling provision, said the measure would block funds for counseling that presents suicide or assisted suicide as an option, and called references to death panels or euthanasia "mind-numbing".Matthew Daly, August 14, 2009, The Chicago Tribune, AP story, Palin stands by 'death panel claim Republican Senator Johnny Isakson, who co-sponsored a 2007 end-of-life counseling provision, called the euthanasia claim "nuts".Ezra Klein, August 10, 2009, The Washington Post, Is the Government Going to Euthanize your Grandmother? An Interview With Sen. Johnny Isakson. Analysts who examined the end-of-life provision Palin cited agree that Palin's claim is incorrect.PolitiFact, August 7, 2009, Sarah Palin falsely claims Barack Obama runs a 'death panel' According to TIME and ABC, Palin and Betsy McCaughey made false euthanasia claims.Time, August 12, 2009, Ezekiel Emanuel, Obama's 'Deadly Doctor,' Strikes BackABC News, Jake Tapper, August 7, 2009, "Palin Paints Picture of 'Obama Death Panel' Giving Thumbs Down to Trig"
