Despite criticism he's trying to curtail care for the sick and elderly, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., plans to introduce legislation in Congress today to better educate the public on end-of-life care.
A key piece of the legislation would expand Medicare's hospice benefits. A "transitional care" benefit would be available for terminally ill people expected to die within 18 months. Currently, Medicare covers hospice for people with a life expectancy of six months or less.
Warner's Senior Navigation and Planning Act of 2009 would provide for better education on living wills, counseling for dying patients and respite care for their families through that benefit.
No one would be forced into making certain health-care decisions, Warner said, but education could help them avoid unnecessary and expensive procedures.
"This is not about limiting anyone's care. It's about giving people a full understanding of their options," he said Thursday. "This is about trying to give folks and their caregivers the ability to make whatever choices they want."
When Warner announced this idea to hospital executives in March, the criticism was swift. He was accused of trying to save federal health-care money by reducing care.
Mary Petchel, chairman of the Tidewater chapter of the Virginia Society for Human Life, said Thursday that Warner's proposed legislation needs to be studied carefully to make sure it doesn't turn into government rationing of health care.
"Health care reform must protect Americans from rationing or denial of treatment based on age, disability, or 'quality of life,' " she said in an e-mail. "Most states don't require doctors to honor advance directives that direct food, fluids treatment."
She said her organization is as concerned about protecting the elderly and people with disabilities as they are with protecting the rights of the unborn, and therefore will track the legislation closely.
Some organizations support Warner's idea of more end-of-life-care education, including the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, which has endorsed the legislation.
The bill also would require doctors, beginning in 2014, to offer certain Medicare patients, such as those with end-stage cancer, renal disease and congestive heart failure, information about advance directives and other planning tools. Doctors who failed to provide the information would not receive Medicare reimbursements.
The proposal provides financial incentives for hospitals and skilled nursing centers to have accredited palliative care programs, which focus on relief of pain and maintaining quality of life.
Warner said he wanted to submit the legislation at this time because Congress is considering health-care reform. He'd like to see some of the ideas incorporated into that legislation.
Warner said his concern is that people wait until they are in crisis to make end-of-life care decisions and that such planning needs to take place sooner in the process.
He said it's not just family members and patients who may be reluctant to talk about end-of-life issues, but doctors too, which is why he included requirements for doctors to provide such information to patients facing terminal illnesses.
"This is not a savings-driven issue, but a quality-of-life issue."
Elizabeth Simpson, (757) 446-2635, elizabeth.simpson@pilotonline.com
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Diamondjack
But here's the deal, buddy. Are you saying people should be able to put in an advanced directive to have assisted suicide? 'Cuz those folks in the nursing home are so far gone they would not be capable of such a decision now.
And let's take it one step further. The nursing home I know best is the VA one in Hampton. Lots of those folks are much younger, but have service related disabilities. Do you think they would have foreseen ending up this way and signed an advanced directive? Probably not, eh?
So is what we are saying related in any way to the fact that these humans repulse us somewhat by reminding us that accidents can happen and people can be injured in wartime? Are we perhaps advocating for people to kill them just to stop them being inconveniences to us, even after serving their country and all?
I really think *that* might be at the roof of assisted "suicide." Getting rid of inconvenient people.
end of life?
end of life?
"Health care reform must protect Americans from rationing or denial of treatment based on age, disability, or 'quality of life,'"
Yet they don't mind killing babies who are an inconvenience to the state as evidenced by the deliberate killing of living baby Sun Hudson who was an inconvenience to the state.
Do it!
Sen. Warner was an excellent Virginia Governor and he continues at a high level of representation for Virginians and now for all Americans; a true public servant, Sen. Warner is a beacon in the U.S.Senate. Support him!
Health Care
I beleive that it should be up to the individual as to how much care they desire. As for myself I wish there was a way that assisted Death was legal, as I do not beleive that anyone that has visited a nursing home and seen the patient. just lying there with no QUALITY of LIFE would wish that upon themselves. We were not intended to last forever!. All of the groups that advocate for forever care are really doing the people and in justice as in the case of alhzhimers, The Body is alive but there is No BRAIN and there is the question every one should ask themselves IS THIS HOW I WANT TO LIVE???
Attention!!! anyone over 55
Most of you saw fit to vote in this lot of democrats for your own selfish desires. I hope you get what you asked for. I am one of you the difference is I would not vote for a democrat for Dog Catcher!!