re: #135 Sharmuta

I would hope my doctor wouldn’t need an incentive to give me end-of-life counseling. If she did- I would have to seriously wonder if she cared about her patients.

The issue isn’t whether your doctor is given an incentive. She’ll be paid for giving counseling (if she charges for it and I would expect her to) one way or the other. The question is, by whom? This provision of the bill was designed to provide that she’d be reimbursed by Medicare rather than by supplemental insurance (if your insurer elects to cover such counseling) or by you.

BTW, this provision of the bill, while it includes end of life counseling, also includes advice and information about things like living wills and health care proxies, things far too few people avail themselves of that have nothing whatsoever to do with “end of life.” In fact, every adult should have them.