Naming a health care agent and completing an advance care plan helps health care providers honor wishes when patients are unable to speak for themselves. This also brings peace of mind to patients and their loved ones. But too many barriers to planning exist and the vast majority of Marylanders still have not named a health care agent or completed an advance directive.
A bill in the Maryland General Assembly would reduce those barriers and enable more residents to name their agent and have an advance care plan. SB 837 would require health systems to encourage creation of advance care plans and require insurance carriers to regularly offer advance directives.
SB 837 passed the Maryland Senate nearly unanimously and now has a hearing in the House Health and Government Operations (HGO) Committee THIS THURSDAY, April 1. Tell members of the committee to VOTE YES and move this bill to the full House for a vote!
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of advance care planning, but too many Marylanders remain unprepared if a time came when they couldn’t speak for themselves. SB 837 would improve statewide practices to ensure residents can more easily access planning resources. Tell the HGO Committee to VOTE YES!
