Change in Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) Information - Advanced Directives

According to the New York Times reporter Robert Pear, the regulation that allowed Medicare to pay for voluntary discussions between doctors and beneficiaries about advanced directives (end-of-life care) during their newly inaugurated Annual Wellness Visit has been suspended. Apparently, this does NOT mean that you can’t discuss this with your physician during your visit, only that this part of the encounter with your physician isn’t an official part of the Medicare service. And while I have not found anything in the official Federal Register yet, it may be that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is thinking of proposing that this be a part of the service and will seek public discussion and comment on this apparently quite controversial matter. Unless I find out differently, it appears that this should not really change what goes on during such a visit, as this was always seen as voluntary.