UP Ibalon Bicol: Death & cost of terminal care are still taboo among many patients

Death & cost of terminal care are still taboo among many patients

8/25/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

The provision of reimbursing time given by physicians to counsel patients on end-of-life issues elicited unease and horror among many Americans. Sen. Sarah Palin spoke against it in terms of “death panels” and others thought the measure was a step towards euthanasia. Such fear is expected. The Obama administration debunked these fears as myths.

The public has been reluctant to talk about advance directives, health proxies, and power of attorneys as “rationing” loomed. If money becomes too tight in the healthcare budget, control on who gets the services may be inevitable in USA.

Not representing the majority of US licensed physicians, the American Medical Association (AMA) believes compensating MDs to discuss options of a terminal patient is OK. It saves on expenses while clarifying voluntarily issues about the death process. Upon request however, free advice on life and the dying has been available in medical care since time immemorial. Why then does the government want to shell in additional money for counseling when it is part of healthcare all along? Obviously, money has something to do with it.

“Studies have shown that the 5% of Medicare patients who die each year account for 30% of Medicare's costs, with 78% of last-year-of-life expenses occurring in the month before death. A March 9 Archives of Internal Medicine study of 603 dying cancer patients at seven hospitals, oncology clinics and hospices found that care for patients who had end-of-life discussions with their physicians cost $1,295, compared with $2,780 for patients who did not have such talks.

Anthony L. Back, MD, professor of oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and an oncologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center,said “encouraging physicians to have extended counseling sessions with their patients through the Medicare system could help patients get the care they want at the end of their lives while saving the health system money.”---AMA News. (08/24/09, O’ Reilly KB)

The counseling supported by AMA may remove barriers and misconceptions in tackling death, but there are practically no rules on what and how the doctor will share his advice. Physicians are inadequately trained on dispensing end-of-life advices. There is a possibility that patients and their relatives may be pressured in their decisions. =0=

RELATED BLOGS: AARP loses 60,000 members in July-August 2009 Posted by mesiamd at 8/18/2009; Sen. Sarah Palin stirs the healthcare debate with her warning of the “death panel” Posted by mesiamd at 8/15/2009

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Labels: AMA, American Medical Association, death panels, euthanasia, life, life and death issues, Medicare, rationing, terminal illness, Totie Mesia

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Death & cost of terminal care are still taboo among many patients

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