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Medicare chief: Keep gov't out of end-of-life care planning
The government should "stay out" of deciding a patient's end-of-life care, President Obama's Medicare chief said Wednesday morning, weighing in on what's become a heavily politicized issue over the past two years.
Medicare Administrator Don Berwick, who Republicans have hammered for past statements about healthcare rationing, said the government should allow doctors to have whatever discussions they want with their patients, including conversations about advanced care planning.
End-of-life care, which consumes a large chunk of healthcare dollars, became a hot-button issue during the healthcare reform debate when some conservatives accused the Obama administration of trying to create government-run "death panels" that would have ultimate power to ration costly care to the elderly and disabled. The claim was rebuked as Politifact's top lie in 2009, but the stigma has stuck with the issue.
Death panel rumors were revived late last year when it was discovered that an administration regulation would have reimbursed doctors for holding end-of-life care discussions with Medicare patients in new annual wellness visits. Some conservatives accused the administration of quietly trying to sneak through "death panels," and the rule was later withdrawn.
The issue is far from dead, though. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) told The Hill last month that he plans to reintroduce his bill that would pay Medicare doctors for holding end-of-life discussions with patients. His bill was originally introduced in 2009 with Republican backing.
Berwick made the remarks Wednesday morning to the American Medical Association's annual advocacy conference.
Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee will get their first chance to grill Berwick during a Thursday hearing. Though the focus will be on healthcare reform's impact on Medicare, House Republicans may use their first opportunity to question Berwick on his rationing views, as well as flaws they say are rampant through the reform law.
