In Wash. Times op-ed, attorney says Palin's "death panel" claim is "dead-on" based on entirely unrelated Texas law

SUMMARY: In an August 19 Washington Times op-ed, medical malpractice attorney Robert W. Painter pointed to the "unintended consequences" of Texas' 1999 Advanced Directives Act to argue that "for many states," Sarah Palin's claim that a provision of the House health care reform bill "would result in 'death panels' " is likely "dead-on." However, the House provision -- which allows Medicare to cover voluntary counseling sessions in which patients can make decisions about their end-of-life care -- has nothing to do with the relevant part of the Texas statute, which establishes procedures for doctors to follow when refusing to provide patient-directed treatment (including life-sustaining treatment) they consider inappropriate.

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