cheated out of our celebration parties.

A cousin who had cardiac arrest last week, I believe they are going to unplug the machines this coming week.

I bet it is something like that except they will keep him on the machines until after the 3 month time politically.

OTOH, even if he was dead and off of machines, MAGAs would keep it secret, if they could. But the chances for leaks then would be greater than if they leave him on machines, even without hope of recovery.

Not for very long.

Too many people at the hospital would know.

Gotta figure Mitch's room is very private with layers of security and baffles to keep out any noisy employees.

Once you're dead, I think it goes away. You're now public property. Your death is recorded elsewhere and is not just a medical record. Doc pronounces you dead. Then you are removed from the healthcare facility. Your body goes to a funeral home, (if KY is like TX, McConnell, will go straight to a funeral home due to his age and ongoing health issues) Meanwhile legal documents are filed such as death certificates etc.

Death isn't an illness. It is a legal status.

Although your treatment status may be subject to HIPAA after you die, your death status is not.

https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance/health-information-of-deceased-individuals/index.html

Background

The HIPAA Privacy Rule protects the individually identifiable health information about a decedent for 50 years following the date of death of the individual. This period of protection for decedent health information balances the privacy interests of surviving relatives and other individuals with a relationship to the decedent, with the need for archivists, biographers, historians, and others to access old or ancient records on deceased individuals for historical purposes. During the 50-year period of protection, the personal representative of the decedent (i.e., the person under applicable law with authority to act on behalf of the decedent or the decedent’s estate) has the ability to exercise the rights under the Privacy Rule with regard to the decedent’s health information, such as authorizing certain uses and disclosures of, and gaining access to, the information. With respect to family members or other persons involved in the individual’s health care or payment for care prior to the individual’s death, but who are not personal representatives, the Privacy Rule permits a covered entity to disclose the relevant protected health information of the decedent to such persons, unless doing so is inconsistent with any prior expressed preference of the deceased individual that is known to the covered entity.

How the Rule Works

The HIPAA Privacy Rule applies to the individually identifiable health information of a decedent for 50 years following the date of death of the individual. The Rule explicitly excludes from the definition of “protected health information” individually identifiable health information regarding a person who has been deceased for more than 50 years. See paragraph (2)(iv) of the definition of “protected health information” at § 160.103. Thus, for example, a HIPAA covered entity that maintains health or medical records, correspondence files, physician diaries and casebooks, or photograph collections that contain identifiable health information on individuals who have been deceased for more than 50 years may use or disclose the information without regard to the Privacy Rule because the information is not considered protected health information.

During the 50-year period of protection, the Privacy Rule generally protects a decedent’s health information to the same extent the Rule protects the health information of living individuals but does include a number of special disclosure provisions relevant to deceased individuals. These include provisions that permit a covered entity to disclose a decedent’s health information: (1) to alert law enforcement to the death of the individual, when there is a suspicion that death resulted from criminal conduct (§ 164.512(f)(4)); (2) to coroners or medical examiners and funeral directors (§ 164.512(g)); (3) for research that is solely on the protected health information of decedents (§ 164.512(i)(1)(iii)); and (4) to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged in the procurement, banking, or transplantation of cadaveric organs, eyes, or tissue for the purpose of facilitating organ, eye, or tissue donation and transplantation (§ 164.512(h)). In addition, the Privacy Rule permits a covered entity to disclose protected health information about a decedent to a family member, or other person who was involved in the individual’s health care or payment for care prior to the individual’s death, unless doing so is inconsistent with any prior expressed preference of the deceased individual that is known to the covered entity. This may include disclosures to spouses, parents, children, domestic partners, other relatives, or friends of the decedent, provided the information disclosed is limited to that which is relevant to the person’s involvement in the decedent’s care or payment for care. See 45 CFR 164.510(b)(5). For uses or disclosures of a decedent’s health information not otherwise permitted by the Privacy Rule, a covered entity must obtain a written HIPAA authorization from a personal representative of the decedent who can authorize the disclosure. A decedent’s personal representative is an executor, administrator, or other person who has authority under applicable State or other law to act on behalf of the decedent or the decedent’s estate. See 45 CFR 164.502(g)(4), as well as guidance on personal representatives available at: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/coveredentities/personalreps.html, for more information.

and they are keeping him that way, as to not detract from Trump's 250 celebrations...........

If they announced it, the 250 celebrations would be overwhelmed by the massive number of Americans, out in the streets celebrating McConnells passing........

His burial plot needs to be surrounded by acres and acres of concrete pavement with surface drains.....same for Trump's burial site, and many other Republicans graves.....

If he was dead, that wouldn't be kept under wraps for long. Someone would let that news out.

Bet they've had him hooked up on life support the entire time. This BS is ghoulish.

Wife wants to keep her perks?

Could possibly get 10 more years and 100s of votes out of him.

"Mitch - we are going to pass 10,000 volts through you. If you jerk, we'll call that a 'YES' vote for our party."

you can be sure the g-damned republicans would do that.

Especially since these people are on payroll

Gotta figure a BIG reason the Geezers on the Hill won't step down is partly due to staffers who like power and know where the skeletons are refusing to allow retirements.

you will get more straight-ticket Rs in November of a midterm or presidential year, and this is a mid term year.

Demand proof that they're not pulling a Weekend at Bernie's.

For all the horrendous things he has done over the years, he has been a solid NO vote on the SAVE act. If KY replaces him in a special election, the replacement will almost be guaranteed to be a YES, I don't want to risk that YES being the one that passes it in the senate since it has already passed in the house.

might it be possible they don't have the votes to confirm a new Supreme Court nominee before the new Congress is seated. Most of them hate Trump enough they might just want to send him a big Fuck You. And if they're dead or dying, that works too. At least we can hope then we take the Senate.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106673/

of a high-ranking person, I was told I couldn't because I was not a family member.

In Texas, I think they are publically available after 60 years.

Death index is pretty much daily.

Anybody who is sent to the Medical Examiner where I live is put on a public roster availble online. However, ME handles cases which an autopsy is required.


https://deathrecords.bexar.org/

Plenty of coverage about Paul Pelosi hitting a parked car, though, isn't there?

"Liberal" media my ass!

One less vote in the Senate for the repubs

Who exactly is going to determine he is unfit for office and force him out?

He is clearly unwell but they are hiding him to protect his image, not due to a special election.

And there’s not much benefit here because Republicans have one less vote while he is MIA.

He can't vote remotely. If he is alive, they could a la Strom Thurmond bring him in a wheelchair to vote up or down. If he is dead, they have one less vote.

Now, there already is a Democrat and a Republican who have the nominations for November. I wonder if Kentucky law would allow both parties to skip the primary and have an early election. It seems they changed the law twice recently. The first time was to have the Governor pick one of the people on the Republican list (McConnell's party), then to cut the governor out altogether to have a special election. I bet they regret the last change.

I would have thought they would want to get a Trumper replacement in ASAP. Remember, McConnell is a strong defender of the filibuster and is against the SAVE Act. Fortunately, even if they wanted to I don't think they can replace McConnell fast enough to pass and implement the SAVE Act. It does mean if a special election is called Democrats should demand primaries.

https://www.npr.org/2023/07/31/1191034037/mcconnell-facing-health-questions-says-he-ll-serve-full-term-keep-leading-senate

...eom.

It seemed so easy.............

Get some obscure, under-the-radar Kentucky Democrat to switch his party registration to Republican, get named by Beshear to fill out the rest of McTurtle's term, and just vote with us (after all, if Fetterman can vote with them, and they raise no objection....).

Perform a “wellness” check on McTurtle before he shuffles off to hell.

There’s more to this than McConnell being ill.

signaled that he's doing well -- or had bitten the big one.

...and hurried to get home before he gives up the ghost! 👻

They know that Gov. Beshear will appoint a Democrat and they don't want to see that happen.

Poor Moscow Mitch, no fancy state funeral for him. Maybe they'll scatter his ashes over the Lincoln Reflecting Pool?

In Kentucky, the rule is that Governor has to replace him with a member of their own party.

Right now, there is a non-voting, Senator. Having him replaced would give them not only a voting Senator, but also a few months of name recognition. Increasing his chances of winning an election.

It just isn't what was put forth here.

Moscow Mitch will keep leaking formaldehyde and they'll keep pumping him full of drugs 😡

Truly a scumbag human that will goto hell.

Wow. Great phrase. And I hope it is glued down to his legacy.

But they’ll never use it. Republicans don’t seem to have much of a relationship with the truth. Unless they can “modify” it to suit their overriding agenda.

Just for the record, I don’t trust Republicans anymore than I can pick up my house and throw it down the hill.

just like Republicans

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QPNs85BKNw8

Sounds like he’s already brain dead.

There’s gotta be a way to force the hand on whether he’s alive or not.

Strategic planning is afoot.

He ws found unconscious, possibly not breathing, due to a heart attack. It's incredibly rare someone his age with a previous history even survived. If he did. I want to se a picture with him talking.

That's about 2 months more than he allowed Ruth Bader Ginsburg.