Medicare is now going to incentivize death by paying doctors to talk with their patients and families about end-of-life care. Oh, they say this payment policy would only apply to patients and their families who choose to participate on a volunteer basis.  But frankly, patients are putty in the hands of doctors.  Would the death rate rise commensurate with Medicare payments to physicians over end-of-life issues?

The problem for government overseers is 30% of all Medicare expenditures are attributed to 5% of the beneficiaries who die each year with one third of that occurring in the last month of life.   [Health Services Research April 2004]

Of $554 billion spent on Medicare annually, 28 percent, or about $170 billion is spent on patients' last six months of life. [Medicare Newsgroup June 3, 2012]

Medicare is attempting to reduce its multi-billion bill to care for patients in the last days of their lives.  What this often represents is futile care rather than medical care.  Patients and families, in particular those who espouse a religious faith, don't want the doctor to "pull the plug" because they feel God will come through for them even against all odds.  [Journal Aging & Health Aug 2008]