Dying for Reform
Organization claims living wills could reduce medical costs and help the economy
June 24, 2009 -- As paramedics worked frantically to revive George Smink's 86-year-old mother, they did not know they were actually working against her will.
"She never wanted to be on life support," Smink said about his mother after the hospital inserted a breathing tube as she battled heart failure and colon cancer. "That is not something they do if a patient is DNR."
Smink, left with the decision of his mother's future, opted to follow the wishes of her Do Not Resuscitate order, or DNR, she included in her living will. "I'm thinking she's proud of me," Smink remembers while making this difficult choice. "I'm doing what she wants."
While living wills have advantages for families and medical professionals, they may also serve another purpose – helping the American economy. As the Obama administration seeks to alleviate some of the nation's economic troubles by reforming America's healthcare system, one organization suggests the best start is by preparing for death.
The National Healthcare Decision Day Initiative encourages Americans to complete advance directives, or living wills, as a way of reducing lawsuits, difficult decisions, and potentially unnecessary medical expenses.
According to a recent study by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, America could reduce medical costs by $75 million a year if more cancer patients discussed living wills with their families or medical professionals before it became too late. Assuming these figures hold true for other groups of Americans, the potential national savings could be far greater.
Nathan Kottkamp, a healthcare attorney and founder of the initiative, boasts about the success of this year's initiative that took place on April 16. According to new numbers, at least 3,755 people completed advance directive documents while the campaign exposed potentially millions of Americans to the organization's message.
"[Living wills] save Americans money because we are more efficient," Kottkamp emphasized. "This is not saving money because we are pulling the plug." Furthermore, Kottkamp insists that reducing uncertainty in the medical process can "save tons of money by not involving lawyers."
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