One of the most common complaints among doctors is that many people receive end of life treatment that they would not have wanted if given the option. However, the option to choose how one will die is often left until the situation is critical and the patient will be unable to indicate their wishes which results in drastic, and expensive, measures to extend a life that is over for all intents and purposes. Because of this problem, Medicare, and private insurers, are finally moving towards reimbursement for doctors when they meet with patients solely to determine end of life care options. Supporters argue that this will be a cost effective means to make sure a person’s wishes are known in advance so they die with the greatest comfort possible while not being subjected to painful attempts to save their life that will potentially destroy their estate with medical cost. While doctors are the focus on helping people make end of life decisions in advance, this is also the realm of the estate planner who may be in a better position to explain the non-medical elements of the choice including the financial toll it might take on the next generation. Ultimately, it is always a good idea to broach the subject with a client as they might never give any though to it unless prompted to do so by a trusted adviser.
See Barbara Sadick, How Doctors Can Approach End-of-Life Conversations, Wall Street Journal, September 27, 2015.
Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse for bringing this article to my attention.
