Talking to Your Doctor About How You Want to Die
Physicians will soon be paid to talk about end-of-life planning.
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The government will begin paying doctors to have conversations about end-of-life care next year under a Medicare rule that was finalized last week. The goal is to help patients decide what medical measures they want—or want to avoid—if they face grievous illness or injury. Doctors and patient groups have long sought this change, but it's been nixed in the past with political cries of government-run "death panels."
Starting next year, physicians will be reimbursed by Medicare for spending up to an hour on advanced-care planning visits. The consultations are voluntary. But if patients choose to do this, what will these conversations be like?