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Category: life-sustaining treatment

Lisa Blumberg: A Classic Case of Lethal Denial of Medical Treatment Based On Disability

Trisomy 18 is a genetic condition that usually results in physical health problems and cognitive limitations. Life expectancy is currently shorter than typical but people can live into their 20’s and 30’s and one American with trisomy 18, Megan Hayes, celebrated her fortieth birthday with fanfare. Unfortunately, it seems that this information has been slow […]

Lisa Blumberg: Brain Injured Are Denied Life Sustaining Treatment Too Early

  A 2007 Not Dead Yet blog described “rush to judgment” cases where people who had sustained a major brain injury were denied life sustaining treatment before appropriate time had passed to determine if they could become conscious. It referred to an article co-authored by Dr. Joel Frader, now a member of the Northwestern Center […]

NDY Comment on Comment on Proposed Texas Futility Regulations

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 […]

NDY Public Comment on HHS/OCR Proposed Section 504 Healthcare Regulations

Not Dead Yet has joined many disability organizations in applauding the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights for proposing critically needed rules to update and amend its Section 504 regulations in the area of healthcare. NDY’s public comment focuses primarily on the Department’s questions concerning medical treatment (Section 84.56), […]

HHS Requests Public Comments and Stories of Discrimination in Healthcare

The federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is proposing important and beneficial new regulations under Section 504 to clarify how the law prohibits healthcare discrimination based on disability. The notice of proposed regulations from the federal government is full of examples of disability discrimination by healthcare providers. For example, based on a report […]

Lisa Blumberg: Getting Beyond Advance Medical Directives

For years, advance medical directives, popularly known as living wills, have been promoted as giving people control over what happens to them at “end of life”, i.e., when they are in dire medical straits. (1)  It is hard to disagree with the concept. Certainly, people have the right to refuse treatment they don’t find helpful […]

Nancy Alisberg: Physician assisted suicide – second thoughts

As a February 23rd committee hearing approaches on the Connecticut assisted suicide bill, disability advocates are talking about a compelling article by a former disability protection and advocacy attorney who’s experiences changed her views about this controversial issue. Her article was published in today’s CT Mirror. Physician assisted suicide – second thoughts by Nancy Alisberg […]