[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 34 (Tuesday, March 8, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H1584-H1595]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        LIVING WELL AT THE END OF LIFE: A NATIONAL CONVERSATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege this morning to 
participate in a fascinating in-depth discussion sponsored by the 
National Journal and The Regence Foundation, ``Living Well at the End 
of Life: A National Conversation.'' It was made possible by the Regents 
Group, an insurance company headquartered in my hometown, Portland, 
Oregon, and the deep commitment that its president and CEO, Mark Ganz, 
has to be able to make sure that families have the information, the 
tools they have necessary to make sure that they understand their 
treatment choices and that they are respected.
  This is an issue that goes far beyond the so-called ``end of life.'' 
This is key so that everybody knows their health care choices, they 
understand their choices, and they make their wishes known, their 
choice is honored and respected.
  It is a mistake as we have these conversations to confuse the high 
cost of end of life with concerns about health care reform. When people 
are seriously ill, they have high health care spending, and there is 
nothing wrong with that. That is a natural consequence of what happens 
when people need more hospitalization, more intense activity.
  But too often, the sickest and most vulnerable have negative 
experiences in our complex health care system, which creates 
unnecessary strains on both the patients and the caregivers, and it is 
a mistake to somehow confuse this with people who are seriously 
terminally ill. Forty percent of all people who are hospitalized can't 
make decisions for themselves. This is a real stress on them, on 
families, and the ones who have been given the responsibility to try 
and guess what is in their best interests.
  I have heard countless stories about how our health care system has 
failed patients during these medically and emotionally complex 
episodes. Both colleagues on our Ways and Means Committee--and we're 
dealing with health care reform--friends, and witnesses have come 
forward time and time again with how a parent, a spouse, a friend ended 
up on auto pilot in the health care system, in and out of hospitals, 
confused by all the specialists, decisions being made around them but 
not with them.
  We can do better. We know how to do better. There are successful 
models of comprehensive, patient-centered care that leads to better 
quality and greater patient satisfaction, and it's interesting that the 
new polling by the National Journal and The Regence Foundation makes 
this abundantly clear.

                              {time}  1410

  These results affirm that health care is deeply personal and that 
people want to know their options, stay in control of their care, and 
be in a position to help their loved ones. This poll indicates that 97 
percent of Americans polled believe that it is important that patients 
and their families be educated about palliative care and care options 
available to them when they're seriously ill.
  Over 80 percent of Americans polled believe that discussions about 
palliative care and other treatment options should be fully covered by 
health insurance, including Medicare. By a more than three to one 
margin, people identified that it's more important to enhance the 
quality of life for someone who is seriously ill rather than just 
simply extend life.
  It pointed out that as a result of some of the, I would think, 
bizarre conversation that has surrounded this issue, including the 2009 
PolitiFact's Lie of the Year about death panels, that elected officials 
and political candidates, according to this survey, are actually the 
worst source in people's minds for information. The good news is that 
they trust religious leaders, health care providers and doctors, 
insurance companies.
  And the most trusted are friends and family, which illustrates why we 
need to work aggressively in educating all Americans about the choices 
that are available to them and how those choices are respected. It's 
time to start now.

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