Medicare regulation revives end-of-life planning

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-12-26-medicare_N.htm

Medicare regulation revives end-of-life planning

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new health regulation issued this month offers elderly Medicare health insurance recipients voluntary end-of-life planning, which Democrats dropped from the monumental health care overhaul last year.

The provision allows Medicare to pay for voluntary counseling to help beneficiaries deal with the complex and painful decisions families face when a loved one is approaching death.

But the practice was heavily criticized by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and some other Republicans who have likened the counseling to "death panels."

The "voluntary advance care planning" is included in a Medicare regulation issued Dec. 3 that covers annual checkups, known as wellness visits. It goes into effect Jan. 1.

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Yes, ladies and gentlemen, each and every one of us will die someday...even Sarah Palin.

Harry

Everyone should have the choice in how their last days are done. If you want full out try to save you, then fine, say so. If you want comfort measures only, then fine, say so. And don't forget to be exact about feeding tubes and meds to save you while on comfort measures because they will be used unless specified not to be.

This has nothing to do with government rationing or death panels, it has to do with your having a say in how you will leave this earth. Choice.

goes into effect, so very many poor people go without it.
The GOP hates it, for some reason I can not understand.

(Probably because Obama wants it.)

mark

medical issues. My aunt had a stoke, then developed an infection then developed gangrene then had a leg amputated. The gangrene came back and they figured the only way to save her was to amputate the other leg. She received lots of counseling and fortunately she had discussed this with a doctor and made a choice of which of her children would work with the doctor on helping her make those decisions.

When you are in the midst of a crises (in severe pain, under constant sedation)is not the time to be figuring this stuff out. My cousin was able to work with the doctor to carry out my aunt's wishes. My aunt finally decided against the second amputation and her daughter was there for her the whole time. It was a horrendous situation that was made easier by having had this discussion months before the crisis hit.

This is dems lose. They couldn't market free popsicles on the hottest day of the year. Nobody wants to hear about end of life-unless that person is of a different skin culture or color. I sometimes think its just arrogance and other times willful sabotage.

in counseling patients. They won't have to rush through this sort of care planning now that it is reimbursable. A good thing for all.

To counsel patients and their families on the various options for end of life decisions. Simple as that. And we all know that many if not most doctors are in practices that require that every moment they are in the office must be allocated to money making activities.

more time, my understanding is that it isn't covered under Medicare. Remember, visits are coded for content, such as "initial," "followup", etc. Miscoding a counseling visit as something else would be considered fraud.

funded by the govt).

can be really hard for some to face, whether it be the actual patient or the family. Many are unwilling or even unable to start the discussion and aren't aware of the different levels of care that are available. It's sometimes a relief for them to have someone else broach the subject with them and guide them to make the decisions they want for themselves or a loved one.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/us/politics/26death.html

I'm glad to see there is resistance to the right wing on this - and I am hoping it is an indication of things to come, rather than a return to one-sided compromise.


Mark