WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement after the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized new rules authorizing Medicare to reimburse physicians for holding conversations with their patients about end-of-life care preferences.
“CMS’ new rule is an important step forward towards encouraging more Americans to make proactive choices about their medical care and empowering individuals to spend their final days and hours on their own terms,” said Senator Coons. “These conversations between physicians and patients are extremely important, even though they are difficult. That’s why I’m working on bipartisan legislation with a broad coalition of palliative and end-of-life care experts and religious organizations to incentivize Americans to have these conversations by reimbursing Medicare beneficiaries to create an advance care directive. I look forward to introducing this legislation soon and continuing to work with my colleagues to make sure every American has the opportunity to make their own decisions about their medical care.”