Re: Palin, Death Panels and the Truth


"A R Pickett" <WOODeSTOCKe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:7eg5a8F2ftlc4U1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Francis wrote - > And actually the recommendation to discuss end of life
issues with the patient every five years is consistent with the
recommendations to estate law attorneys to do the same with their
clients.

And, speaking only for myself, AND speaking as someone for whom "end of
life" issues are painfully close to the bone, I have found it comforting
and reassuring beyond words that Mr W's md's are willing to raise these
issues and discuss them with us.

Whether this type of discussion should be mandated by federal law and/or
insurance companies is an issue very worthy of study - but there will be a
time in the lives of a great many of us when an "end of life" discussion
is appropriate. It seems to me that anything which will move us all in
the direction of making this sort of discussion more commonplace is (or
could be) a very good thing.

--
A R Pickett aka Woodstock

There's an excellent column on the topic in the Boston Globe today written
by a Harvard geriatrician and palliative care specialist.
http://tinyurl.com/og22vz

Most importantly, and what seems to be misunderstood by many is that the
proposal is not "mandating." What it would do is to allow reimbursement to
physicians for their time and to encourage these conversations and advance
decisions.

" The legislation under consideration in Congress that would allow
physicians to be reimbursed for an advance care planning discussion with
their patients is simply an attempt to correct the imbalance between what
patients want and clinical reality."

The article goes on to say "The only question we should be discussing is
whether a federal mandate to allow physicians to bill specifically for
discussions about goals and directives for care will actually succeed in
stimulating advance care planning..... The issue is not whether advance
care planning is desirable; it is how best to encourage patients, families,
and clinicians to have such conversations."

Annie


.

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