Sarah Palin recently stated:

"The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my
baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's "death
panel" so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of
their "level of productivity in society," whether they are worthy of
health care. Such a system is downright evil."

It's goes without saying that this statement is an outright demonstrable
lie. And it's coming from a former candidate for Vice President of the
United States.

But that said, Palin is sort of right on one point -- there are people
who weigh whether children like Trig are worthy of insurance. They're
called insurance companies, and they have decided that these children
are not in fact worthy of coverage. That's because Down Syndrome is a
"pre-existing condition."

Christian Science Monitor, 10/21/08 (Lexis):

Margaret Demko of Albany, Ohio, agrees everyone should be
responsible for themselves. But she also believes the free market has
failed the healthcare system miserably. That's left too many people,
like her family and every other family that lives on her rural road in
Appalachia, without healthcare coverage.

. . .

Ensuring that everyone has access to care has become a full-time
cause for Ms. Demko. She and her family have been without insurance
since her daughter was born four years ago with what doctors say is Down
syndrome. Her husband is a self-employed contractor so the family had
relied on her job as a substance abuse counselor for their health insurance.

But Demko said she couldn't keep working full time with an infant
with special needs. When she quit, she didn't realize that would result
in her family's being unable to get health insurance.

Ohio does not require insurance companies to cover children with
disabilities considered to be preexisting conditions.

Georgetown Univ., Center for Children and Families:

Margaret Demko, the mother of three-year-old Emily, testified
before the Ohio Finance Committee on February 27, 2008, on how waiting
for health care coverage has impacted Emily and her future.

Emily was born with Down Syndrome. After receiving Emily's
diagnosis, the family decided that it was important for Margaret to stay
home in order to best meet the needs of their child. They explored
numerous options after losing their employer-sponsored coverage, but due
to Emily's pre-existing condition, the Demkos were denied private
coverage. Luckily, they qualified for Medicaid. However, by their
6-month reauthorization meeting, the monthly family income was $135 over
the allowable limits.

The medical bills, in excess of $3,500 a month, were devastating,
forcing the family to make difficult decisions regarding therapy.
Emily's medical condition requires orthotic shoe inserts, physical
therapy, and corrective eye treatments, as well as hearing and blood
tests. The Demkos cannot afford to incur all the expenses at once.