Under the law, no. In real life, sometimes.
Many people think that they don’t need to sign a Health Care Proxy because they assume that the law permits their spouse to speak for them in medical emergencies. The law actually says quite the opposite. Only you or someone you have...
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MOLST – Getting Your End-of-Life Wishes into Your Doctor’s Orders
Massachusetts has recently enacted the MOLST program - that's Medical Orders on Life-Sustaining Treatment. This is a solution to a question that a lot of clients ask: "How do I make sure my kids do what I want with end-of-life care?" Or more typically, clients say, "I want a living will." ...
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Department of Public Health Survey on Health Needs for People with Disabilities
This landed in my inbox. It took about 5 minutes to fill it out. Due date is May 31. Here are the details:
Help influence health care in Massachusetts! The Health and Disability Program, part of Office of Health Equity at the MA Department of Public Health (DPH) is conducting a health...
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The Nursing Home Stopped Medicare Payments Because my Loved One Stopped Improving, but I Heard that’s Illegal
For many years, Medicare has stopped paying for therapies or skilled care once the patient stopped improving, or plateaud. This is not what the regulations say, but somehow that became the practice across the country.
In December, the good folks at the Medicare Advocacy Project fought and won against this trend, and a federal...
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Has the Nursing Home Told You that Medicare Coverage is Ending Because the Patient is No Longer “Improving”?
Every day, families of nursing home patients are told that Medicare coverage will be ending in a day or two, because the patient is no longer “improving.” Well, that has never been what the Medicare regulations say, but somehow, that has become the common practice across the country.
The good folks at the Medicare...
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Medicare Long-Term Care Payment Structure Changing
Medicare payment structure will be changing. Historically, even though Medicare is supposed to pay for anyone needing skilled care, they've been cutting patients off when they "plateau" - so if therapy is no longer going to help you improve, Medicare stops paying (even though their regulations say otherwise). Now, this class-action law suit out...
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Bring It with You
Do you have a Health Care Proxy, HIPAA Statement, and advanced directive (in my office that would be the workbook called Your Way)? If you are in a hospital or rehab and are being transferred to another medical institution, bring copies with you. Do not assume these will be transferred to the...
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Have an Advanced Directive? Put it into Language that Doctors Understand
If you have an advance directive (in my office, that’s the Your Way workbook), and if you have a terminal or very serious illness, take your advance directive one step further and have your doctor convert it into “doctor’s orders.” If you have been in a hospital, then you know that all care...
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Get Input from Your Doctor to Develop Your Advance Directive
I give the “Your Way” workbook to every client who signs a Health Care Proxy. This workbook allows you to spell out to your family what your end-of-life wishes are.
If you have a serious or terminal illness, complete the Your Way workbook in pencil, and then go over it with your...
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Who Will Make Your End-Of-Life Decisions When You Are Incapacitated?
As we get older, the threat of illness or injury increases, and many of us wonder what will happen if we fall or get injured. Who will make important healthcare decisions if we become incapacitated? How will medical personnel know how to treat us if we cannot communicate with them? The answer to all...
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