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I wouldn’t believe post 50 at this point - I would have to read it for myself because people are not careful to read each word in a law and they will make conclusions that aren’t right. Don’t care if its a judge or someone else making those conclusions. I have taught people, including lawyers, how to read laws so they don’t misinterpret.

I do know for sure that the hospital now has two ways to admit you. They check either “Inpatient” or “Under Observation”. Make sure they check “Inpatient” because Medicare will not pay for “Under Observation”. I saw an actual case of this on Fox, I think it was, where a woman broke her leg and was in the hospital and then she also had rehab while still in the hospital. The hospital had put down “Under Observation” for her case and Medicare wouldn’t pay and she owes over $25,000. They left their house to live with family so they could save money for her to have more rehab.

I also know doctors are to offer end of life counseling. The person who wrote this article says a patient will be “required” to attend. I don’t believe that. I’m sure the “Living Will” will be explained to patients. A “Living Will” is a death will, telling the hospital not to give them life saving procedures - just let them die. I ran into that with my husband. I had a “Medical Power of Attorney” which meant I was the only one besides my husband who could make a medical decision for him. I had him in five different hospitals and each one asked me if he had a “Living Will” and I told them that is a death will and here is my medical power of attorney - I had a number of copies made of that power of attorney and passed them out like candy to shut down their power to kill my husband. That piece of paper stopped them right in their tracks - they couldn’t do jack unless I approved it.

If you have a medical power of attorney and go to one of these end of life meetings the doctor has, just hand him/her a copy of the medical power of attorney, and they are stopped right there and you can walk out.

I was amused every time when I handed a hospital person that paper because the reaction from them was like the paper was a religious cross and they reacted like the devil would when faced by a cross. Keep the power so if you are too sick to make medical decisions for yourself, your spouse has that power and the hospital doesn’t.

You can find a medical power of attorney form on the net, print it, fill it out, both you and spouse sign it in the presence of a Notary Public and it’s done. That is what I did for both of us.

Please don’t make the joke that you don’t trust your spouse to make those decisions. You shouldn’t be married to that person if that statement is true. This is a serious business and jokes don’t apply.

Spouses should have a Medical Power of Attorney for both spouses so you are in control of what hospitals can do.