Has anyone signed up with Iris, a free health care planning service?

This has been my experience. We just used them for my dad and will shortly for my mom. Both are over 80. I found it a good experience. I had already left copies of their Healthcare POA and Advance Medical Directive with their PC office. (They already had a HCPOA and Advance Medical Directive prepared by an attorney.) The phone conference with Iris rep helped get the goals in an outline form, put into a summary letter and then the document mailed to us in the the POLST or MOST form, which is the name of the document in my state. I’ll take it by the PC office for doctor’s signature next week.

The MOST document has the DNR and orders about tube feeding and the use of antibiotics. I thought Iris provided a good service. My impression is that they may not present what their function is as well as they could. I hope they are working on that. I do think it’s helpful and perhaps more so for those patients who don’t have a HCPOA or Living Will.

thank you - I checked online to figure out why their service would be free, they are not a non- profit, what is their gain for receiving our medical information?

Hi Charlotte, IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct) is a program for adults with disabilities and elderly people in Wisconsin. It’s Medicaid program and there is no cost for you to join.
Some people may have to pay a monthly payment called a cost share. Your cost share is based on your income and eligibility for Medicaid and IRIS.

If you’re receiving Medicaid they are already in possession of a great deal of your medical information.

All of this information about IRIS is available on this website: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/iris/index.htm

I haven’t used IRIS but I do have advanced directives, including POA for healthcare in place with my primary care physician, cancer teams and translant team. These documents can make sure that your wishes are followed in the event of an emergency where you aren’t able to communicate with the doctors or staff on your own behalf. You need to have someone you can trust to make the decisions for you.

IRIS can help you get ‘ducks in a row’ for advanced directives with heath care should the need arise.
Your doctor’s office would also have forms that you can use to fill out and return to them.
Do you have loved ones or a friend whom you trust that you could name a Power of Attorney for health care?

thank you for your comment - I have all these forms in place and notarized. The IRIS pamphlet pointed out that their health care planning is a free service and did not provide any information that the " free" is based on income or health care insurance. Maybe this IRIS program
is tailored for Wisconsin. I did not know that certain cancers qualify for disability
https://www.disabilitysecrets.com/social-security-disability-cancer.html

They didn’t request any financial information from us and I know my dad doesn’t qualify for Medicaid, so Idk. But, there was no charge. It seemed the doctor’s office covered it. In NC, it’s a private company. I’ll send you a link by pm. I have no affiliation with them at all.

The benefit imo is that they outline your desires into a concise letter that is placed into your medical record with the doctor’s office. The doctor’s office isn’t set up to read the legal documents you have signed and decipher them. Plus, some aren’t detailed enough. And, they prepare the POLST (MOST) form and mail to you so you can take it to your doctor for his signature. This is what EMT will look at before they start CPR or other life saving measures or transport to the ER. It’s a valuable document to have for any senior or person facing serious illness, imo. ER doctors will abide by this document too. Here’s a link for the form in my state.
https://www.ncmedsoc.org/non_members/public_resources/MOSTform_sample.pdf

I bet you’re right. I’m only familiar with the Wisconsin site and didn’t think beyond that. But since it’s Medicaid, I’m expecting every state should have a similar program.