How to debunk reform rumors

OK. We've all read the rumors that "Obamacare" (as its detractors term it) will mandate that senior citizens receive "end of life" instructions, or, as one member of Congress put it, will require seniors citizens to be "put to death by their government." Huh?

Specifically, it's Act Section 1233 of the House bill H.R. 3200 (see page 424) that's causing this ruckus. Here's what that section actually says. If passed, the provision would require coverage under Medicare Part B for a VOLUNTARY consultation between a Medicare recipient and her doctor about issues associated with the end of life, including living wills, durable powers of attorney, palliative and hospice care, etc... In other words, if your Grandma chooses to have this conversation with her doctor, and she pays for Part B coverage, then Medicare will pay for this service. That's it. End of story.

Fortunately, many of us have also seen this rumor thoroughly debunked in the mainstream press--see here, for example. And plenty of people have posted the actual text of the legislation to the Internet. Ironically, though, that may be part of the problem. It's arcane, confusing stuff--deciphering it requires you to have knowledge of how the Medicare statute is structured, how this new provision fits in with the existing statute, what Medicare Part B is about, etc... It's easy to get confused by the language itself.

So, without spending hours wading through legislative language, how can you investigate a health reform rumor so that you can decide for yourself? Today the White House has a new Web page up it says is designed to help you separate fact from fiction. For those of you looking for nonpartisan expertise, here are two suggestions:
--Bookmark this Pulitzer-prize winning fact-checking site maintained by the St. Petersburg Times (here's what they had to say about the end of life rumor); and
--Sign up for CCH/Wolters Kluwer's free weekly newsletter on the health reform debate.