Making a decision that will certainly result in death is always a terrible choice, but it is one that many American’s will have to make as the elder population reaches record highs. The recent announcement that Medicare will provide counseling is a positive step forward as it allows individuals and families to seek advice when faced with a choice to continue an expensive and potentially life saving, but unlikely to succeed, medical procedure. To avoid the terrible choice between life and money, it is always advisable to create a living will and a health care directive document that outlines what measures a person wants to be taken well before the choice has to made. In the heat of the moment, individuals will often make choices that are geared towards the short term rather than long. A little preparation will allow everyone to focus on the dying process and comfort of the patient rather than the need to make hard choices that might have severe repercussions that extend many years into the future.
See Edward A. Zelinsky, Medicare and end-of-life medical care, OUPblog, August 3, 2015.
