Obama Administration Proposes Rule Changes On Advanced Directives

The Obama administration has announced that it is reviving a proposal to reimburse physicians for talking with patients about end-of-life care.  This proposal to allow patients to sign “advanced directives” that spell out what is to be done if they become incapacitated has been called ‘death panels’ by critics.  The new regulations would not require patients to sign any advanced directives, instead physicians would be able to bill Medicare for providing “advanced-care planning” if the patient opts for it.  The idea is to give patients more flexibility in deciding what sort of end-of-life care they wish to receive. 

See Noam N. Levey, Obama administration revives plan once criticized as ‘death panels,’ LA Times, July 8, 2015.