It is common lore that some native tribes in the upper reaches of civilization have dealt with the end-of-days of their people by setting them adrift on an ice flow, there to watch as their lives melt away.

Is it true?

I have no idea.

Are we not more civilized than that?

Maybe not.

State Medicaid patients in three health plans still do not have coverage for hospice care, although Patrick administration spokesman Alec Loftus said a request to federal regulators to allow such coverage in two of the plans is pending; the third, MassHealth Limited, will continue to exclude hospice coverage because it is intended for emergency medical care only.

There has been no progress on the suggestion to require reporting of caregiver training to state health officials, though the state’s Board of Registration in Medicine has since required two credits toward end-of-life training each time a physician's license is renewed.

Some studies have found that patients who receive easy-to-understand information about end-of-life options often choose home-based comfort care instead of medical interventions. One novel batch of studies led by Harvard Medical School researcher Dr. Angelo Volandes found that many patients shown simple but graphic videos about invasive medical treatments changed their end-of-life preferences to less aggressive approaches.

What a concept!

Inform elders about their options as end-of-life nears, and mirabile dictu, they may decide that doing it right benefits them, their families, their society.

Could work, I'm thinkin' . . .

As often as not.

Worth a try.

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