Death panel

Death panel is a term that originated during the debate about federal health care legislation in the United States. It refers to the fear that a government-run health system might ration care and decide who lives and who dies. The term was first used by Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska, in a Facebook post on August 7, 2009.

Origin of the term

The term "death panel" was coined by Sarah Palin in a Facebook post on August 7, 2009. Palin's post was in response to the proposed healthcare reform legislation known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). In her post, Palin claimed that the PPACA would create a "death panel" of bureaucrats who would decide whether Americans—such as her elderly parents or child with Down Syndrome—were "worthy of medical care". Palin's claim has been widely debunked and criticized, and was named the "Lie of the Year" by PolitiFact in 2009.

Controversy

The "death panel" controversy has been a significant part of the debate over healthcare reform in the United States. Critics of the term argue that it is a scare tactic used to manipulate public opinion against the PPACA. Supporters of the term argue that it accurately reflects concerns about the potential for rationing under a government-run healthcare system.

Impact

Despite being debunked, the term "death panel" has had a significant impact on the healthcare debate in the United States. It has been used to stoke fears about government-run healthcare and has contributed to the polarization of the healthcare debate.

See also

• Healthcare reform in the United States
• Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
• Sarah Palin

References

• 
  Sarah Palin
• Betsy McCaughey
  Betsy McCaughey
• Earl Blumenauer
  Earl Blumenauer
• Protest banners with picture of Obama with Hitler mustache and a death panel sign
  Protest banners with picture of Obama with Hitler mustache and a death panel sign
• Newt Gingrich
  Newt Gingrich