Senators Coons (D-DE) and Cassidy (R-LA) plan to introduce the
MAP for Care Act electronic advance and have
asked for our support/endorsement. It is a revamp of the
Medicare Choices Empowerment and Protection Act from 2019. At a high level, it would require CMS to certify 3rd-party vendors to maintain a database of electronic advance directives. The vendors would be responsible for assisting beneficiaries in the creation and/or modification of their advance directives as well as ensuring providers can access them. I've included a summary from their offices below.
(From their office) Under the MAP for Care Act:
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Medicare enrollment applications will begin including a link to an internet website with resources to assist in completing an advance directive.
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Electronic advance directives would be created through and maintained by outside organizations accredited by CMS, and could be modified or cancelled at any time by the beneficiary.
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An advance directive would include any electronically stored statement that outlines the kind of treatment and care a beneficiary wants or does not want under certain conditions, and can include identification of a health care proxy.
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Medical providers and health care proxies would have real-time, digital access to beneficiaries' advance directives.
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Medicare beneficiaries would be able to voluntarily certify to CMS they have created an electronic advance directive at any time.
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CMS would not hold a database of these documents, but rather would only keep track of the organization that maintains an advance directive record for a beneficiary.
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Both CMS and outside groups maintaining advance directives would be held to the highest standards for privacy and security protection as well as system functionality.
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This legislation would not preempt any state law governing advance directives.
It has been endorsed by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the American Nurses Association.
I would love to hear the community's feedback on whether this is something worth supporting.
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Logan Hoover
Vice President of Policy and Government Relations
National Alliance for Care at Home
lhoover@allianceforcareathome.org------------------------------