Dear Representatives Black, Welch, Collins, and Thompson,

On behalf of the 1.3 million members of AMAC, the Association of Mature American Citizens, I am writing in support of H.R. 4059, the Medicare Choices Empowerment and Protection Act. This important piece of legislation goes a long-way to incentivize Medicare beneficiaries to take control of their end-of-life care. Offering beneficiaries a one-time, $75 incentive for filing an advance directive outlining the treatments desired by beneficiaries under certain conditions, and by encouraging beneficiaries to identify a power of attorney, health care professionals will maintain higher certainty and efficacy when providing health care services.

AMAC has consistently advocated that beneficiaries of Medicare be confident in the services they have spent their entire lives paying into. Often times, many senior citizens fail to properly prepare for traumatic, end-of-life situations due to unforeseen consequences of failing to adequately consider such situations. By offering a cash incentive to beneficiaries, H.R. 4059 will encourage senior citizens to think of these unforeseen events and adequately prepare themselves and their loved ones for possible end-of-life situations.

Although filing advance directives for end-of-life situations are beneficial to the Medicare system and senior citizens nationwide, H.R. 4059 takes this benefit one step further by empowering beneficiaries to make end-of-life arrangements whenever they deem necessary. Permitting beneficiaries to file advance directives at any time through independent organizations certified by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will promote greater participation by beneficiaries in determining end-of-life care choices. This bill makes filing advance directives easier and more convenient for beneficiaries.

As an organization committed to representing the interests of mature Americans and seniors, AMAC is dedicated to ensuring senior citizens’ interests are protected. We commend Representatives Black, Welch, Collins, Thompson, and their respective staffs for their commonsense, responsible, and innovative solution that will affect millions of seniors nationwide. AMAC is pleased to offer our organization’s full support to the Medicare Choices Empowerment and Protection Act.

Sincerely,

Dan Weber
President and Founder of AMAC