…s who want and need it. Futile care laws and policies allow doctors to overrule the autonomous health care decision of an individual or their authorized surrogate in favor of treatment. The judgment that a health care treatment is futile may sound like it could be based on an objective scientific medical assessment, but if it were, it would probably fail to meet “medical necessity” criteria and thus not be covered by insurance. The real issue is t…
…reports that Dorothy Livadas died after being removed from her ventilator today: Strong Memorial Hospital officials confirmed that Dorothy Livadas, the 97-year-old Rochester woman whose end-of-life care was the center of a months-long legal battle, died this afternoon. Livadas had remained on a ventilator for about seven months, while her daughter Ianthe and health care providers disputed her wishes in court. Hospital doctors and representatives…
…d Yet, which now has its national headquarters in CDR’s Rochester offices. Today, February 19, 2009, the House Judiciary Committee in New Hampshire held a hearing on HB 304 (http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2009/HB0304.html), which is titled “AN ACT relative to death with dignity for certain persons suffering from a terminal condition.” In case the wording leaves you in doubt, this is a bill to legalize assisted suicide. This particular…
…rcut the basic civil and human rights of persons with disabilities,” said Bruce Darling. Examples of such disregard for our rights include: Progressive and civil rights organizations strongly promoted changes in federal labor rules that undercut the right of and opportunities for people with disabilities to live in the community; Unions have fought against community integration efforts by the disability community in order to preserve union job…
…ing a little lighter. Hot off the press from the Tiger Weekly, the student newspaper of Louisiana State University, is a fun little piece that made me smile today. OK, I even giggled at one point. With students all over the country graduating this month, the U.S. is eager to observe the effects of a new law which eliminates 30 percent of the graduating student population. President Obama’s 2009 Job Market Fairness Act serves to create a less stres…
