“Young Man with a Skull,” by Frans Hall.

Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer  talks about his longterm effort to get Medicare to reimburse physicians for talking with patients and their families about their wishes for end-of-life care.

Amid assertions by some Republican foes that this talk constituted “death panels,” the provision has been held up for years, but the Obama administration is now implementing it.

Congressman Blumenauer here talks about his belated victory and why he believes that people need to talk about, and decide on, end-of-life care long before they need it.