This is post #7 discussing some critical parts of hb 3200.

Sec 1233 Advance Care Planning Consultation

This section adds to the Social Security Act:

(hhh)(1)…Such consultation shall include the following:

(E) An explanation by the practitioner of the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice, and benefits for such services and supports that are available under this title.

2(B)(3)(A)
…the Secretary shall include quality measures on end of life care and advanced care planning that have been adopted or endorsed by a consensus-based organization, if appropriate. Such measures shall measure both the creation of and adherence to orders for life sustaining treatment.

I have no problem with my doctor discussing this situation with me. But this is our government saying that this must be done. The government expects my doctor to discuss measures endorsed by a consensus-based organization. That organization is Federally funded and Federally controlled through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The measures are those that are appropriate based upon a comparative-effectiveness study considering a cost-benefit using quality-adjusted life years. Now I remind you of the portion of the bill related to computerization where it says (p58 of the bill) the system will determine if you may have such services from that particular doctor at that particular facility. So if you are not ready for end of life care and want to continue fighting for life, the computer may say “Sorry, you can’t have that.”

The government has already put 1.1TRILLION dollars of our money into CE. An additional $90 MILLION will be taken in 2010, $100 MILLION in 2011, and $110 MILLION in 2013. After that, it will be $375 MILLION each year. If that amount is invested, what is a fair return (savings) each year and where is it saved? Medicare!!! Where is the biggest problem in Medicare? END-OF-LIFE