In a letter that Compassion in Dying received earlier this month, the health care agency agreed. D.C. The agency's decision indicates that the federal government is paying attention to the pain issue. D-Ore., that would improve training and other outreach efforts in pain care. Wyden's bill also stipulates that patients be told of their right to adequate pain treatment. Another bill would outlaw the use of federally controlled drugs for physician-assisted suicide yet encourage their use for good pain care.
Many people think dying involves pain and unmanageable symptoms.
How the decision will affect patients in Oregon and Washington is unclear. But patients in California could feel the impact in coming months, said Richard Chambers, acting deputy regional administrator for the San Francisco regional office of the Health Care Financing Administration. Oregon and Washington also have laws that deal with pain treatment that could trigger HCFA's involvement. Tucker said she would have to analyze laws in other states to see if the federal government would be able to play a hand in influencing patient awareness of pain care. HCFA can stop paying a hospital for services for Medicare patients, for example, if the hospital doesn't follow its rules.