With all the talk both about repealing healthcare reform legislation (or at least cutting off its funding) and about the backlash to Medicare coverage of voluntary advance care planning, it would not surprise me to see a bill aimed at repealing the Patient Self Determination Act.
After all, the PSDA actually requires hospitals and other facilities to inquire about and engage in education concerning advance care planning. If the states want to promote or require advance care planning, that is one thing. But if the federal government wants to be agnostic and treat advance care planning like abortion and assisted suicide (not allowing federal funds), then why not at least be consistent? Repeal all the federal law that promotes advance care planning. The PSDA has been pretty unsuccessful in any case.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
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4 comments:
Thaddeus, you're breaking my heart. Please say you just posted this to provoke a discussion.
sgrant
I am just taking current trends to their logical conclusion. Hardly a reductio argument. But in the same vein.
I am just taking current trends to their logical conclusion. Hardly a reductio argument. But in the same vein.
There's tremendous inconsistency within the law. CMS and the NYS DOH are both pushing for "patient-centered care" with an eye on providing a person a living environment in accordance with his desires. However, having non-compliant residents sign AMAs to continue whatever behavior it is that is therapeutically contra-indicated DOES NOT protect facilities from being cited by either entity for failure to adequately care for that resident.
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