July 12, 2024 HHS Office of Inspector General – Chief Counsel Division P.O. Box 85200 Austin, Texas 78708 Email: IG_Rules_Comments_Inbox@hhsc.state.tx.us RE: Proposed Regulations published in the June 14, 2024 Texas Register Dear Chief Counsel: Not Dead Yet is a national disability rights organization focused on combatting disability- based healthcare discrimination, particularly in the context of […]
We learned of this yesterday in a message shared by his family: It is with tremendous sadness that we share the passing of our father. Andrés passed away on the afternoon of December 1st, surrounded by his family and wrapped in love. While there will never be a time that we are ready to say […]
Recent Medscape Survey Indicates that Doctors are Divided on Life and Death Issues by Lisa Blumberg Medscape is an online resource for healthcare professionals. It provides medical news and information and does surveys on current issues. (1) Its 2022 survey of 4100 U.S. doctors on “Right and Wrong in Medicine: Life, Death and Wrenching Choices” […]
Not Dead Yet, with partners the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund and the Patients Rights Action Fund, have assembled a total of 30 disability rights and racial justice organizations to support further regulatory action by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. Specifically, the groups are urging the formal […]
On July 24th, ADAPT of Texas filed a complaint with the federal Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) concerning the death of Michael Hickson, a Black Disabled man, at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center. The complaint called for . . . “. . . an investigation of St David’s […]
The hospital may not have called it a “futility judgment” when they pushed Chris Dunn to go into hospice as an alternative to spinal cord injury rehabilitation, but it’s hard to see it any other way. Here’s an extended excerpt from United Spinal Association’s New Mobility article “Refusing To Die: The Chris Dunn Story“: By […]
Nine month old Tinslee Lewis was scheduled to die today (11/11/19), based on a Fort Worth hospital’s decision to remove her ventilator under the Texas futility law. The nation’s most infamous futility law provides for ten days notice and you’re dead — unless another willing medical provider takes over. From news video, it does not […]
Good news! Following intervention by attorneys, the Minnesota hospital that we previously reported had planned to stop providing oxygen to a woman with lung cancer decided to follow her wishes to continue treatment. This goes to show, as so many people with disabilities have experienced, that when there’s a power imbalance operating against you, get legal/advocate […]
This is a followup to yesterday’s post about Chris Dunn. Not Dead Yet of Texas has issued a released a release regarding the “futility” decision being fought by the family of Chris Dunn. For Immediate Release Not Dead Yet of Texas has for the last 3 legislative sessions supported amending the Futile Care language in […]
It’s been a while since we’ve posted anything on it, but futile care policies have been an area of concern for NDY and other disability rights groups for many years. Things have been quiet for awhile, which isn’t really good news. We only hear about futile care issues if a family goes public – reaching […]
