The "Lie Of The Year". . . Except That It Wasn't

Via Hot Air.

PolitiFact named 'Death Panels' as the "Lie of the Year".

Except that it wasn't a lie at all.

Buried on page 1001 is this: INDEPENDENT MEDICARE ADVISORY BOARD.

2 ‘‘SEC. 1899A. (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is estab
3 lished an independent board to be known as the ‘Inde
4 pendent Medicare Advisory Board’.
5 ‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to,
6 in accordance with the following provisions of this section,
7 reduce the per capita rate of growth in Medicare spend
8 ing—
9 ‘‘(1) by requiring the Chief Actuary of the Cen
10 ters for Medicare & Medicaid Services to determine
11 in each year to which this section applies (in this
12 section referred to as ‘a determination year’) the
13 projected per capita growth rate under Medicare for
14 the second year following the determination year (in
15 this section referred to as ‘an implementation year’);
16 ‘‘(2) if the projection for the implementation
17 year exceeds the target growth rate for that year, by
18 requiring the Board to develop and submit during
19 the first year following the determination year (in
20 this section referred to as ‘a proposal year’) a pro
21 posal containing recommendations to reduce the
22 Medicare per capita growth rate to the extent re
23 quired by this section; and
[next page]
1 ‘‘(3) by requiring the Secretary to implement
2 such proposals unless Congress enacts legislation
3 pursuant to this section

Certainly sounds like rationing if costs get out of control. But Government programs never get out of control and are famous for staying under budget.

Wait, what?

To the two readers of this blog, expect an update. (Thanks, Mom and Dad).

UPDATE: Just for fun, in the word search window near the top of the PDF file of the Reid Bill, type in "Social Security Act" then keep hitting next. Take a drink every time you see it being amended.

Anyway, the bill is big and awkward to read at best. And it does touch upon some areas outside of health care and reaches into the home. Starting at page 568 for the 'Maternal and Child Health Services'. Still working through that. It reads worse than stereo instructions.