End Of Life Care Myths And Realities: A podcast with Michael Gusmano by Life and Death - RCHA

Today we will talk about the cost of health care at the end of life -- a touchy and controversial topic in the United States. While it is important to understand where we spend our health care dollars and whether we are spending enough or too much, those who engage in conversations about the cost of health care, especially at the end of life, are often accused of wanting to ration care on the backs of the elderly. Indeed, in discussions about the Affordable Care Act during the early years of the Obama administration, Republicans accused Democrats of promoting so-called death panels because part of the ACA included discussions between patients and their physicians about end of life goals. In today’s podcast we will find out how the US compares to other Western countries in terms of access and cost of health care at the end of life.