Colorado Medical Society

Introduced by: Aurora-Adams County and Denver Medical Societies

Subject: Mandatory Advance Directive by Subscribers of Third Party Payers

Referred to: Reference Committee on Health Affairs

WHEREAS, patients and families often have difficulties with end of life decisions, and

WHEREAS, surveys of American citizens regarding aggressive medical care and life support for patients in a chronic vegetative state with no hope for improvement indicate that approximately 90% of Americans would not want their lives continued in such hopeless situations, and

WHEREAS, families and relatives of patients in a chronic vegetative state are unable to make decisions regarding termination of care in the absence of any formal declaration by their loved one in a vegetative state, and

WHEREAS, the costs of health care services born by third party payers and society are rising out of proportion to all other societal expenses, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Colorado Medical Society work at the state level to PROPOSE A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FOR THE COLORADO MEDICAID AND MEDICARE PROGRAMS USING MANDATORY PRESENTATION OF INFORMATION ABOUT AND REQUEST FOR DECISIONS ON ADVANCE DIRECTIVES TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS IN REDUCING END-OF-LIFE CONCERNS. SPECIFICALLY THE PROJECT WOULD ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:

1. EASE OF IMPLEMENTATION;

2. OVERALL FEASIBILITY;

3. FACILITATE END-OF-LIFE COMMUNICATION;

4. BENEFIT TO PATIENTS AND FAMILIES TO PROVIDE COMFORT

WITHOUT INAPPROPRIATELY PROLONGING CARE OR DELAYING AN INEVITABLE DEATH; AND

5. ASSESS COST SAVINGS FOR THE STATE OF COLORADO MEDICAID AND MEDICARE PROGRAMS.

RESOLVED, that third party payers be required to provide an individual's mandatory declarations to his/her primary care physician, health facility, and other physicians caring for their patients.

FISCAL IMPACT: None