The State Advisory Council on Serious Illness Care was created in October 2002 under Sections 13-1601 through 13-1604 of the Health-General Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. The Council studies the impact of State statutes, regulations, policies, and other aspects of public policy on providing care to the dying. The Council monitors trends in the provision of care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and participates in public and professional educational efforts concerning the care of the dying. The Council also advises the General Assembly, Office of Attorney General, Department of Aging, and the Department of Health on matters related to the provision of care at the end of life.
Meetings
The meetings for the rest of the year are:
October 20, 2025 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Phone Number (US): +1 484-854-1786
PIN: 466 310 301#
Meeting information and agendas will be posted closer to the meeting dates.
Reports and Correspondence
As stated in the report, the Council recommends:
- Requiring, encouraging, or incentivizing insurance companies to offer digital advance care planning as a covered benefit;
- Embedding advanced care planning into health system workflows with a particular sensitivity to underserved communities;
- Making it easier to complete, upload, and retrieve electronic advance directives;
- Encouraging persons to complete advance directives through supporting existing public awareness campaigns and promoting National Healthcare Decisions Day in Maryland; and
- Giving the Maryland Health Care Commission the authority to direct advance care planning policies amongst all stakeholder groups, including the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP), payers, providers, and citizens.
Health Care Decisions
The Council has worked with stakeholders and state agencies on important issues impacting the end of life and serious illness care. On the
Maryland Department of Health's Advance Directive Program website, y
ou will find helpful information regarding advance directives, legal and policy issues, and resources for individuals and health care providers. The site also includes a wallet card to inform health care providers of the existence of an advance directive. In addition, the site features useful links to websites containing information relevant to care at the end of life, including details on the Maryland Health Care Decisions Act.
Ethical Framework
The decision-making process that leads to excellent care should not be a lucky happenstance. Instead, its component steps should be identified, reflected in pertinent policies, and carried out routinely. To assist health care facilities with this important work, and after extensive consultation, the State Advisory Council on Serious Illness has issued an Ethical Framework for decision making entitled “
Key Steps in Making and Implementing Health Care Decisions.”
The Ethical Framework, principally written by Dr. Steven Levenson and endorsed unanimously by the Council, identifies the steps for not only complying with the
Maryland Health Care Decisions Act but also gives practical meaning to the ethical principles that underlie the Act.
The Council recommends all health care facilities and programs utilize the Ethical Framework (adapted as appropriate to the particular setting) in their staff training, policy documents, and routine clinical practice, when appropriate.
