Terminal care--issues and alternatives.

Abstract

AS THE AIM OF CONTEMPORARY MEDICINE moves more clearly to diagnosis and cure, the criterion of rehabilitation potential has been a deciding factor for reimbursable services under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act. However, with the increasing ability of medical technology to prolong life past its natural point, with slight chance of recovery, the prevailing criterion has been questioned. The definition of skilled care in skilled nursing facilities, as published in the September 24, 1975, Federal Register, is that: