Disability Rights Group Charges Missouri With 'Medical Killings'
by Mary Rettig
September 15, 2005
(AgapePress) - Stephen Drake, a research analyst for the anti-euthanasia organization Not Dead Yet (NDY), says a major story affecting disabled people slipped under the media radar earlier this month. His group stands up for the rights of the disabled -- including their right to receive proper nutrition -- and opposes euthanasia and so-called "medical killings."Drake says Missouri Governor Matt Blunt and the Republican-controlled State Assembly made massive slashes in the State Medicaid program. The legislation, which took effect September 1, cut certain health-care items designated as "optional equipment," including feeding tubes, nutritional formula, and ventilators, the NDY analyst notes, "meaning that things that were supplied that are absolutely essential for people to survive are now things people have to reapply for authorization for. And the authorization rate -- the re-approval rate -- has not been encouraging."
In fact, Drake says only about a quarter of those patients re-applying for authorization have been approved, despite the governor's office claiming the cuts would not have an impact on "access to life-sustaining nutrition." The way he sees it, the Missouri state government is using the cuts to the Medicaid budget to commit medical killings.
"What you're doing is taking away devices, technology that people depend on to live," the NDY spokesman says. "With a feeding tube, if you take it away, people die. You take away a ventilator, people die. This is not like taking away, as horrible as it is, somebody's blood pressure medication."
Drake points out that feeding tubes and nutritional formula are not optional for thousands of Missourians with severe brain damage or disabilities. Without them, those people cannot eat. But as of September 1, Missouri Medicaid will no longer will pay for such items; nor will it pay for breathing machines for people with respiratory failure; for crutches, canes, and walkers; for cushions to prevent bed sores; or for wheelchair batteries.
Mary Rettig, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
