Obamacare will pay Doctors to talk to their Patients about Estate Planning.

Physicians can now bill Medicare for the time they spend talking to patients about their healthcare preferences. The goal of this conversation is to get seniors to write a living will and assign healthcare power of attorney. Although it isn’t a mandatory part of the check-up, the fact that Physicians are now being paid extra to do so makes this a good time to encourage doctors to talk to their patients about these documents

About 55% of adult Americans don’t even have a will, much less a Medical Power of Attorney, Directive to a Physician (living will), HIPAA forms, or Mental Health Directive.

Why would the government be interested in paying doctors to encourage seniors to get their estate planning done? A Directive to a Physician can save the government millions of taxpayer dollars.

A Directive to a Physician (directive), also known as a Living Will, is a document that instructs Physicians not to use artificial methods to extend the natural process of dying.

It is well known that the cost of keeping someone alive who is in the process of dying is staggering. Most Americans would prefer not to extend this process. However, Physicians are instructed to use all means necessary to extend the life of their patient. Since most people who are in this situation are over the age of 65, Medicare is left with the bill. The government wants seniors to proactive and save taxpayers money by creating these documents.

If you’re a Physician and would like to know more about these documents and how you can encourage your patients to draft these important estate planning documents, please contact the Willingham Law Firm at 214-250-4407 or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .