Lawmakers urge living wills after Schiavo case [View All]

[ckramer]

Spurred by the Terri Schiavo case, a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Wednesday began a drive to pass legislation to encourage more people to draw up living wills or other advanced health care directives.

Florida Democrat Bill Nelson and Indiana Republican Richard Lugar had introduced Senate legislation even before the Schiavo case drew national attention, and several House Democrats said they plan to introduce companion legislation next week.

"People are highly sensitized to this," Nelson told a news conference, predicting broad support on Capitol Hill.

The Lugar-Nelson bill would have the federal Medicare program for the elderly cover doctor advice on advanced directives. It would also make living wills recognized across state lines and create a federal clearing house and public education campaign on end-of-life care. A related bill by Nelson and New York Democrat Sen. Hillary Clinton would also have state motor vehicle offices promote advanced directives.


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