Medicare proposes paying doctors to offer end-of-life counseling
On Wednesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a new policy as part of its annual Medicare physician payment rule that proposes paying physicians to have end-of-life discussions with patients.
Advocates have been calling on Medicare to reimburse doctors for having these conversations, especially as the number of aging Americans increases and more people are becoming aware of intervention options at the end of life, The Washington Post reports. Critics, including former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, said after the Affordable Care Act was enacted that "death panels" would deny older patients proper medical care.
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