“Your Life, Your Choices” for Labor Day 2023

Posted on September 3, 2023 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA

More on End-of-Life Political Decisions from a Different Perspective – Since 2009

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko; MBA, CMP™dem2

The controversial booklet Your Life, Your Choices begins by saying,

“There’s only one person who is truly qualified to tell health care providers how you feel about different kinds of health care issues—and that’s you. But, what if you get sic; or injured so severely that you can’t communicate with your doctors or family members? Have you thought about what kinds of medical care you would want? Do your loved ones and health care providers know your wishes?

Many people assume that close family members automatically know what they want. But, studies have shown that spouses guess wrong over half the time about what kinds of treatment their husbands or wives would want. You can help assure that your wishes will direct future health care.”

Contents

The booklet, initially produced by the VA Health System and now under revision, includes two areas of focus: 1] Planning for Future Medical Decisions, and 2] How to Prepare a Personalized Living Will.

Now, insofar as doctors, nurses and some other medical professionals are concerned – decisions of life, death or dismemberment are not an unusual or particularly contentious topic except for the lunatic fringes.

Yet, when taken in the context of HR-3200, they seem to be provoking wild outrage with talk of “killing grandma”, “government death squads”, etc all within the Obama Administration’s talk of healthcare reform. Still, this is not the point of my diatribe as I remain a neutral observer and pass no value judgment at this time.

What is the Point?

Just this! As a financial advisor for more than a decade, estate planning to reduce taxes, along with living wills and advanced directives are usual topics of discussion with clients. In fact, they are fairly boring and rote topics for estate planners, tax attorneys and accountants, too.

My wife and I have a living will, for example. And, although I am not sure that I could “pull her plug”; I did watch as she and her mother did so for my father-in-law [both wife and mother-in-law are Master-Degree prepared RNs]. So; why the impolite town-hall meetings and related controversy, now! Is it mere politics as usual, unusual, or is it something else?

Assessment

The onerous pages of this booklet seem to be page 21 and page 53. Take a look and decide for yourself.

Link: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/your_life_your_choices.pdf

Conclusion

Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

Product DetailsProduct Details

***

Filed under: Estate Planning, Ethics, Experts Invited, Health Insurance, Insurance Matters, Military Medicine, Retirement and Benefits, Risk Management, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: , , , , |

« »

5 Responses

  1. Retired Doctor, on September 7, 2009 at 11:28 AM said:

    Dr. Marcinko,

    Thanks for the perfect Labor Day post.

    Gundersen Lutheran Hospital [GLH], in LaCross, Wisconsin, has long been a pioneer in [under] providing [cost efficient] medical care to patients in their final months of life. More recently, it has taken the lead in seeking to have Medicare compensate physicians for advising patients on end-of-life planning.

    Retired Doctor

    Like

  2. Foul Player, on September 9, 2009 at 4:14 PM said:

    Sticking it to the “Advisors”

    Take that … you scheming financial planners, eldercare advisors, senior life planners, and estate planning attorneys! Thanks Retired Doc and Doc Marcinko.

    Foul Player

    Like

  3. Retired Patient, on September 10, 2009 at 10:09 AM said:

    Retired Doctor

    Isn’t GLH the place that Sarah Palin and others were referring to in those “let’s kill grandma” comments?

    Retired Patient

    Like

  4. AnnaMarie, on August 31, 2014 at 1:44 PM said:

    Odes to a Cubicle
    [Songs for Labor Day]

    Ah, lighten-up – it’s almost Labor Day!

    For most Americans, it’s a welcome breather that signals summer’s waning days before we shift into higher gear for school or work.

    Less obviously, it’s a holiday created to honor the noble contributions of the worker — a notion that can be eclipsed by on-the-job travails.

    http://music.msn.com/songs-for-labor-day/photo-gallery/feature/

    So, check out the songs.

    AnnaMarie

    Like

  5. By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA CMP™, on September 16, 2014 at 5:17 PM said:

    A Role for Law in Preparing for Death
    [Advance care planning may help prevent conflicts]

    End-of-life law, though flawed, offers an opportunity to express individual values and preferences, via advance directives, health care proxies and other documents, to prepare for death before it’s imminent. I should know, as a doctor and Financial Advisor.

    http://wealthmanagement.com/estate-planning/role-law-preparing-death?NL=WM-06&Issue=WM-06_20140916_WM-06_296&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_4&YM_RID=CPG09000002702210&YM_MID=457

    Yet, many people avoid the thinking process that’s necessary to make these preparations, because the thought of death is uncomfortable to confront.

    By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA CMP™
    http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

    Like

Leave a comment