Top 20 Death & Dying Legal Developments from 2019

There are so many new updates to The Right to Die: The Law of End-of-Life Decisionmaking (Wolters Kluwer 2020). Here are some of them:Idaho’s first reported judicial decision on end-of-life decision making, finding the Idaho advance directive statute constitutional as it applies to pregnant women. An appellate ruling in California upholding most of the interdisciplinary team approach to medical decision making for unbefriended patients in long-term care facilities.  Promulgation of federal regulations that expand and protect statutory conscience rights in health care, including with respect to advance directives and medical aid in dying. Enactment of the Maine Death with Dignity Act and the New Jersey Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act, bringing the number of U.S. MAID jurisdictions to ten. Expansion of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act to waive the 15-day waiting period for patients expected to die sooner than that.  Enhanced criminal penalties for assisted suicide in two states. The first enactment of a dementia-specific power of attorney for health care decisions that includes an end-of-life decisions addendum statement of desires permitting refusal of “food and water” by mouth.  Expanded access to and/or rights under advance directives in five states. Enactment of the another Supported Decision Making Act, as an alternative to guardianship and surrogate decisionmaking. Three additional Simon’s Laws requiring notific...
Source: blog.bioethics.net - Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Tags: Health Care syndicated Source Type: blogs