Friday, July 24, 2009

Government care in action: Oregon recommends suicide for patients

posted by Donny Ferguson on Jul 24, 2009

Patients turning to Oregon's state-run health program for assistant were denied treatment and urged to consider suicide instead.

53-year-old Randy Stroup of Dexter, Ore., looking for assistance to pay for his prostate cancer treatment, turned to the state-run Oregon Health Plan. Plan administrators responded with a letter informing Stroup the goverment would not cover his treatment, but it would pay for physician-assisted suicide.

"It dropped my chin to the floor," Stroup told FOX News. "[How could they] not pay for medication that would help my life, and yet offer to pay to end my life?"

The letter, which follows guidelines set by Oregon's state legislature, has been sent to other cancer patients, urging them to consider suicide rather than compete with other patients for the limited pool of taxpayer money.

The Obama health care takeover currently being written in the House includes a section requiring the sick and elderly to attend meetings on "end of life planning."

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