The PSDA is the first legislation of its kind to address advance directives.

The PSDA is the first legislation of its kind to address advance directives.

• A. False
• B. It was preceded by a similar act in 1985
• C. It addresses only hospital settings
• D. True

Answer: (D)

The main idea is recognizing that the Patient Self-Determination Act is the first federal law to address advance directives. Enacted in 1990 and effective in 1991, it requires facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid to inform patients about advance directives, to document whether an advance directive exists on admission, and to have policies that promote patient self-determination while avoiding discrimination based on the existence or absence of an advance directive. It applies to a broad range of settings beyond just hospitals, including hospitals, nursing facilities, home health agencies, and hospices. There wasn’t a federal act in 1985 addressing advance directives, so the statement that this legislation was preceded by a similar federal act then isn’t correct; state laws did exist prior to PSDA, but PSDA was the first federal measure on this topic.

The main idea is recognizing that the Patient Self-Determination Act is the first federal law to address advance directives. Enacted in 1990 and effective in 1991, it requires facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid to inform patients about advance directives, to document whether an advance directive exists on admission, and to have policies that promote patient self-determination while avoiding discrimination based on the existence or absence of an advance directive. It applies to a broad range of settings beyond just hospitals, including hospitals, nursing facilities, home health agencies, and hospices. There wasn’t a federal act in 1985 addressing advance directives, so the statement that this legislation was preceded by a similar federal act then isn’t correct; state laws did exist prior to PSDA, but PSDA was the first federal measure on this topic.