Linking to an Associated Press article about Medicare coverage for voluntary end-of-life counseling in the House health care bill, conservative media outlets such as Fox News and BigGovernment.com have featured misleading headlines to revive the widely debunked "death panel" smear. Fox News' Peter Johnson Jr. also stated during an interview with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), "So with regard to the death panel, nothing much has changed."

Fox & Friends, BigGovernment, FoxNews.com misleadingly refer to "death panels

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In fact, the AP article reported that the provision covers voluntary counseling and never said that "death panels" were in the bill

AP headline actually stated, "It's alive! End-of-life counseling in health bill."'

 The AP reported, "The Medicare end-of-life planning provision that 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin said was tantamount to 'death panels' for seniors is staying in the latest Democratic health care bill unveiled Thursday." The AP further stated: "The legislation would allow Medicare to pay for a counseling session with a doctor or clinical professional once every five years. The bill calls for such sessions to be 'completely' voluntary, and prohibits the encouragement or promotion of suicide or assisted suicide. The counseling provision is supported by doctors' groups and AARP, the seniors' lobby."

Health care bill still does not contain death panels. Not only does the House health care bill not contain death panels, it does not make end-of-life counseling mandatory. From Section 1233, "Voluntary Advance Care Planning Consultation," of HR 3962:

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It is one thing to judge this bill on it's Merits and it's REAL problems..........

BUT Could someone please explain why the Conservatives are outright LYING about what is or isn't in the Bill..........

SEVERAL OF THE PROPAGANDIZED CLAIMS BY LIMBAUGH, FOX NEWS AND OTHERS HAVE ALREADY BEEN DEBUNKED...

CAN WE PLESE STICK TO WHAT IS ACTUALLY IN THE BILL?

Yes, many fear it will raise taxes and put the U.S. further in to debt BUT come on let's at least deal with the REAL DEAL and NOT LIES................