The "Living Will" and "death panel" discussions seem to ignore the simple fact that virtually every hospital and all nursing homes, care centers, etc., require some kind of Living Will to be signed when a person is admitted for long or short term medical care of any kind.
Every state has adoped a Living Will statute and form of one kind or another. Most states have the same form or ones similar to those that were developed and urged by medical organizations, the AARP and Bar Associations over the years.
The scare tactics make no sense at all as much more specific legisation has been passed in every state and usually with full support of both political parties and all interest groups.
So I have the following links for you to share, below:
Here are the links to the major medical organizations and all 50 state statutes and legislatve material as well as the state agencies in all 50 states that provide guidance about and registration of Living Wills.
It also lists the AARP, ABA, and other organizations with information you can share with others and repost to help put real information before people:
The American Hospital Association information and links to state forms
http://www.putitinwriting.org/...
The American Academy of Family Physicians website
http://www.aafp.org/...
The American College of Surgeons website
http://www.plan.gs/...
The Mayo Clinic form and information web site:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/...
The American Bar Association information web site on Living Wills
http://www.abanet.org/...
A link to every state in the US and the state forms for Living Wills from New York site
http://www.noah-health.org/...
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded organization, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization web site:
http://www.caringinfo.org/...
AARP web site on Living Wills
http://www.aarp.org/...