`A lie can travel around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes.''

The controversy over the so-called ``death panels'' is proof of the enduring nature of Mark Twain's famous observation.

In truth, there are no ``death panels'' in the proposed legislation to overhaul the healthcare system. HR 3200, the main proposal in the U.S. House, makes periodic, voluntary end-of-life discussions with your doctor a covered expense under Medicare (Sec. 1233). In truth, Republicans supported such discussions in Medicare proposals when George W. Bush was president.

That's it. No euthanasia, no arbitrary decisions about who should live or die, no mandatory anything. But that hasn't stopped opponents of healthcare reform like former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin from twisting this sensible provision into something that it isn't with the aim of stopping reform in its tracks.

Over in the Senate, some members who should know better -- like GOP Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa -- have dumped the provision from their version of the bill. Sen. Grassley is one of six lawmakers negotiating a Senate bill. His unwillingness to debunk the myth about ``death panels'' suggests he is not really interested in a bipartisan reform effort.

The Obama administration should support the Sec. 1233 provision in the House bill. The euthanasia controversy is a politically inspired hoax designed to confuse the issue rather than contribute to a reasonable debate over the future of healthcare.

End-of-life consultations between patients and their physicians are useful. Demagogues fueling public hysteria should not have the last word.