Medical News Today (Free subscription) | 11/11/2009
Kaiser Health News staff writer Christopher Weaver details events similar to this summer's "death panel" controversy, but that happened decades ago. "It was early summer. A senior federal health official wrote a memo suggesting that living wills -- documents that can convey patients' wishes about when to end life support -- could help curb health-care costs.
Medical Futility (Free subscription) | 11/11/2009
Over at NPR's Health Blog , Christopher Weaver takes us back to 1977, when HCFA (now CMS) Administrator Robert Derzon suggested in a memo (the original of which is linked to here and in the post) that "The cost-savings from a nationwide push toward 'Living Wills' is likely to be enormous." Derzon also warned of "some negative public reaction." Cost, of course, is only...
Medical News Today (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
Kaiser Health News staff writers Christopher Weaver and Kate Steadman report on the history of pilot projects in the context of current reform proposals. "The Democratic health reform legislation comes studded with cautious plans to test proposals reining in Medicare costs.
