They said, there are no death panels . . . . we find out though that they WILL take OTHER measures to limit treatments

[PHILIP SCHNEIDER]

It won't take much longer before Obama appoints a "DEATH CZAR". You think that's extreme???

Death Panels Begin: Reaction to FDA’s Decision to Begin Rationing

by Capitol Confidential

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announced yesterday that it would ration the late-stage cancer drug Avastin for breast cancer patients. (Ironically, the same day, the EU announced it would not ration access to Avastin.)  The reaction to the FDA’s decision has been fierce:

Rep. Kay Granger:  “For the 17,500 women across the country who rely on Avastin to survive, I am extremely disappointed the FDA has chosen to take away one of the very few options for the treatment of late-stage breast cancer. To make matters worse, this announcement comes on the same day that European drug regulators approved the continued use of Avastin for women with late-stage breast cancer.  It is troubling that women in Germany and France will soon have access to a life-saving drug, while women in the U.S. will not. I will continue to work in the 112th Congress to ensure doctors and patients continue to have access to every available treatment option.”

Rep. Rodney Alexander:  “As expected, the Obama administration has begun its process of rationing health care with its announcement to remove Avastin from the market for women suffering from metastatic breast cancer. Today’s decision to limit women’s access to a lifesaving treatment is amiss, and indicative of the frightful direction our health care system is headed.

 For the government to deny access to such a viable treatment is a severe intrusion into personal health care decisions that should be left between the patient and the doctor. Given that this drug helps over 17,000 patients manage their disease, it appears this move is merely based on cost cutting and rationing rather than on any real medical grounds.  Avastin has extended the lives of thousands of individuals suffering from this devastating disease. Going forward, they will no longer be afforded that opportunity. This decision represents the first major example of things to come if components of the recent health care overhaul are allowed to continue. I will work with others in the incoming majority to restore the fundamentals of the U.S. health care system.”

Reps. Fred Upton, Sue Myrick, Joe Pitts and Phil Gingrey:  “Metastatic breast cancer patients often have limited options for treatment due to the aggressive nature of the disease. Patients in Europe will continue to have access to Avastin, one of the only drugs that treat women with stage IV breast cancers. Today, the European Medicines Agency issued a statement that it has confirmed that the benefits of Avastin in combination with paclitaxel outweigh its risks and that this combination remains a valuable treatment option for patients suffering from metastatic breast cancer.’
However, in this country the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is withdrawing approval for Avastin to treat late-stage breast cancer. Many in Congress have expressed concerns that the FDA’s review of Avastin would be predicated on its price – not in its effectiveness in treating patients.

Allowing the FDA to factor in the cost of a drug when determining whether that drug should be approved is the first big step towards government rationing. The FDA should only look at the safety and efficacy of a drug.  Allowing the FDA to inject cost into the approval process jeopardizes the care of those nearly 18,000 women who rely on this drug. At a time when Europe is moving away from restricting access to life-saving medications, the FDA appears to be moving in the opposite direction. Last year, the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommended that women under 50 forgo routine mammography screenings. Today, the FDA is withdrawing its approval of a drug that helps prolong the lives of thousands of women living with aggressive breast cancer. Unfortunately, this is only just the beginning. The new health reform law – the so-called Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – creates 159 new boards, commissions, and agencies that will destroy the doctor-patient relationship and replace it with federal bureaucrats deciding who gets care and what treatments they can receive. 
A doctor making medical decisions with informed patients has been the foundation of our medical system.  The Energy and Commerce Committee is committed to repealing the new health care law and we will hold hearings to hold the FDA accountable for its decision and protect access to treatment for the thousands of women who rely on this drug.”

Getting quality health care on time even with the current system (best in the world) is difficult enough. Guess which way health care will head under Obamacare . . . . .  and it ain't heaven.