Reply #2: What that means is that they will increase access to proven methods and techniques such as

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pacemakers, etc. They will NOT increase access to things like faith-healing which has no supporting evidence showing that it works. It also means that if mom has to go into the hospital, she won't receive gourmet meals and a private room paid for by Medicare, instead she might have to share a room. She might also have to accept generic medications instead of name-brands which is a large cost-saver and is equally effective. It means that if doctors ask for a battery of tests that has no real medical necessity but only serves to pad the bill, it won't be covered.

Now, if he wants to see a death panel, have him look at the number of people who have died as a result of their insurance company denying coverage for proven methods and calling them "experimental", or denying them as pre-existing conditions.

Show him the evidence of adjusters receiving bonuses for denying claims.

I wonder why this person who is so opposed to government provided healthcare is so concerned with Medicare anyway, after all, Medicare is socialized medicine. I guarantee you that if this same person were asked if Medicare was efficient and whether steps should be put in place to prevent fraud and make the process more financially sound, he'd say yes. Or, put another way, if he wasn't bitching about this, he'd be bitching because of the amount of fraud and overbilling that has been a problem with Medicare in the past.