![WAMU-FM: WAMU: The Diane Rehm Show Podcast show](https://d3dthqtvwic6y7.cloudfront.net/podcast-covers/000/026/868/small/wamu-fm-wamu-the-diane-rehm-show-podcast.jpg)
Summary: <p>Nearly a quarter of Medicare's $550 billion annual budget pays for medical treatment in the last year of life. And almost a third of Medicare patients have surgery in their last month of life. But when people are fully informed about the risks of many life-prolonging procedures, they often decide against them. That's what happened to a woman in Connecticut. After the devastating experiences her husband went through following a stroke, she refused major heart surgery for herself. In a new book, the couple's daughter - a journalist - tells their story and offers advice for us all.</p>