The state attorneys general are charged with consumer protection issues, and problems in end-of-life care can fall under this rubric. Curran and Del Papa “told their colleagues why [addressing this issue] was a valuable service,” Schwartz said. In addition, the assembled AGs heard about the Community-State Partnerships sponsored by Last Acts, as well as other consumer initiatives.
“This put them on notice that they would hear from people anyway, and rather than sit back and wait, they should learn what others are doing,” Schwartz said. “The AGs need to get involved with this as a consumer issue.”
Representatives from 15 states have joined the working group. One of the group’s primary goals will be to share information and ideas. To this end, Schwartz and others will distribute briefing papers on issues that might come to the attention of an attorney general’s office, such as advance directives and managed care for terminally ill patients.
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