Blumenauer to Announce Revamped End of Life Care Legislation

This afternoon, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore) will announce the introduction of bipartisan legislation that would provide a Medicare and Medicaid benefit for voluntary patient-physician consultations regarding advance care planning. These consultations will ensure that individuals' values and goals for care are identified, understood, and respected.

Blumenauer introduced similar legislation was in 2009, which former Governor Sarah Palin warned would lead to the creation of "government death panels." The bill passed the House of Representatives as part of the health care reform bill, and Palin's assertion was named "Lie of the Year" by PolitiFact.

The legislation also provides grants to states to create Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) programs, allows portability of advance directives across states, and requires standards to include completed advance care planning documents within a patient's electronic health record, increasing the likelihood these documents are kept up-to-date and available. The Personalize Your Care Act will be introduced when Congress returns from recess.