Yoda mentioned about billing for a 'consultation'. Now, I'm not 100% up on everything you can or can't bill for - I'm most personally familiar with the disgusting practice of DRG days.

But while not billing for specific information, I *have* seen bills for *time* - much as Yoda mentioned about consultations.

And, yeah, *to a degree* I defend the idea. If someone is going to ask the government to pay the bills they, yeah, the DAMN WELL *SHOULD* be educated on some of the trade-offs, the consequences and, yes, the expenses. Many families do this as a matter of course - like you said, no harm, no foul. But what about the willfully ignorant? The people who (and I'll put this politely) may very well be wrapped up (justifiably) in their own stressed emotions concerning a family member?

Sometimes you HAVE to face that which is unpleasant (you can apply that to just about any of the political topics here).

Screaming "death panels" like a demogogue as if these consultation are something new doesn't change the fact that private insurers have been doing this for quite some time.