U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) has introduced the Medicare Advance Planning (MAP) for Care Act, a bill designed to help Medicare beneficiaries create electronic advance directives. These legal documents allow patients to specify their medical care preferences in case they face a serious illness or condition that prevents them from making decisions.
“When someone is discussing end of life care with his or her doctor, they often feel powerless. This bill gives them control over the decisions in the last part of their life,” said Dr. Cassidy.
Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) joined Cassidy in introducing the legislation.
The MAP for Care Act would let Medicare beneficiaries voluntarily create and register an electronic advance directive with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The advance directives would be created and maintained by organizations certified by CMS, not by CMS itself. Beneficiaries could modify or terminate these directives at any time. An advance directive can include statements about treatment preferences and may designate a health care proxy.
The bill addresses privacy concerns by requiring both CMS and outside organizations to uphold strong standards for confidentiality and system security. CMS would only record which certified organization helped create a beneficiary’s directive; it would not keep copies of the documents themselves. The legislation does not change state laws regarding advance directives.
According to a 2006 Pew Research Center study, while most Americans have considered their healthcare wishes in case of a severe illness or injury, only about one-third have completed an advance directive.
Supporters of the MAP for Care Act include the National Right to Life Committee, the American College of Emergency Physicians, MyDirectives, the American Nurses Association, National Healthcare Decisions Day, Koda Health, and US Acute Care Solutions.
Senator Cassidy represents Louisiana in the U.S. Senate and serves as chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, where he influences federal policy on health care among other areas. He has a background as a physician and educator at Louisiana State University Medical School before entering public service. More information about his career can be found on his official website.
