No Neurological Care for those over 70 under Obamacare?
Maybe You're 'Better Off' not having the surgery but taking the Painkillers 
                                                                                              Barak Obama

Nota Bene - The AANS issues a statement concerning the Mark Levin call-in radio show presented below

AANS and CNS statement:
The AANS and CNS are unaware of any federal government document directing that advanced neurosurgery for patients over 70 years of age will not be indicated and only supportive care treatment will be provided. Furthermore, in conducting our own due diligence, the caller who identified himself as a brain surgeon is not actually a neurosurgeon, nor was there any session at the recent Congress of Neurological Surgeons’ scientific meeting in Washington, DC at which a purported government document calling for the rationing of neuro-surgical care was discussed.

Nota Bene
The authenticity of the video clip presented below in which President Barak Obama made the following statement "Maybe You're 'Better Off' not having the surgery but taking the Painkillers," is beyond dispute. 

No Neurological Care for those over 70 under Obamacare?
Barak Obama, "Maybe You're 'Better Off' Taking Painkillers And Forgoing Surgery" 
                                                                                                                              

Recording of actual call-in to Mark Levin 

The Question is?

Eric LaMont Gregory

The question this controversy raises is what will be the rules for 'advanced neuro-surgical care' under the Obama health care reforms?  We do know that there are some cuts to be made to save Medicare and thereby safeguard our ability to care for the baby-boomers as their numbers swell the ranks of those needing care under the current system.

How are the savings to be achieved.  We have often been told that fraud in the system will be greatly reduced and that savings to the health delivery system will ensue.  How much is going to be saved and at what cost has not been clarified.  And, those who rely on the Medicare system are frankly concerned.  That is why the Mark Levin broadcast has raised such a stir.

The HHS and our legislators who passed the reform act, could easily put this issue to bed by revealing all discussions that have actually taken place concerning advanced neuro-surgical care for those over the age of 70, or seventy-five or whatever and where ever there is a proposed limit to advanced neuro-surgical care, if there is indeed plans to limit such care in any way or for any one based upon some administrative rule devised by the HHS.

Reviewing the video of Obama above, one thing is clear.  He is still trying to come to grips with what happened to his own elderly grandmother who had a hip replacement just before she passed away.  And, Obama is still questioning the rationality of that intervention.  However, expanding that incident into the logic of how the entire health care system for the elderly as a whole ought to be structured is simply a step too far.

Projecting our personal experiences into policy is not a rational thing to do.

Mr President, take a step back from the personal trauma that you suffered, and rethink just how much can and should be gleaned from that experience in relation to restructuring the care for the elderly in this country.