Does your healthcare provider cover Euthanasia?

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When do you think Euthanasia will become an accepted medical practice? Or will it? I think by the time I'm old and feeble and ready to go, in about thirty-five or forty years, it will be an option. I think eventually we will get to the point where we actually let people do what the hell they want with their bodies without irrational religious stupidity standing in the way.

And another thing. Why have laws making suicide illegal? Isn't that... I don't know... unenforceable?!

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Well perhaps those that actually succeed in committing suicide cannot be charged. But many can be charged with attempted suicide. If suicide was not illegal then they could not charge those that were not successful with anything.

The one problem with a doctor performing Euthanasia is that they take the Hippocratic Oath. Quoted from the oath approved by the American Medical Association "That you will exercise your art solely for the cure of your patients" The AMA will have to change the Oath before Euthanasia is accepted. I would also imagine that many doctors who feel strongly that there position is to cure would not want to perform Euthanasia.

I wonder also how that would effect life insurance policies. Unless I am wrong, I believe after a certain amount of time after the policy is first implemented that these policies still pay out because of suicide. Would that effect these policies? What about other financial burdens like one family I know where the dad committed suicide? The family is then left without benefit of his salary-not to mention the emotional burden of not having a dad. I am talking about a man in his early 30s with two young children and a wife.

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Suicides are definitely not covered under life insurance. Attempted suicides are generally referred to a hospital if charged, not prison. As for euthanasia, I think the conflict between a doctor's oath to preserve life, and those who simply wish to die will continue for many years. The AMA will not change their doctrine any time soon. However, I don't think it's religion that gets in the way, just a strong lobby group. I think the most logical solution is to pass a law that allows people to put euthanasia as a stipulation in their will, should they become too infirm to want to go on.

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As an answer to the question: I actually think it does.

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I don't see the laws changing anytime in the future, but I do like Cav's idea of a stipulation to have euthanasia as an option in your will. (I think I'll add the stipulation to my will anyway)

I think assisted suicide happens more often than we know about. For instance, a physician will give extra strength drugs to someone who is very sickly or is in a hospice, to help end their suffering permanently.

I'm with you kicky; we should be able to decide our own fate without religion or legalities.
I don't ever want to end up in a nursing home. If I ever find myself in a situation where I can no longer care for or feed myself, I hope that by then someone will intervene and help me end my life.

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Rick d'Israeli wrote:

As an answer to the question: I actually think it does.

Interesting. Not here, as far as I know.

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Is euthanasia legal in Canada?

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No. Did I misunderstand (explain if I did)? I thought you were inferring that life insurance does cover euthanasia. It doesn't here, and not suicide either.

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Rick d'Israeli wrote:

Is euthanasia legal in Canada?

The first (and until now: only) countries to legalize euthanasia were The Netherlands in 2001 and Belgium in 2002.
In 1997 Oregon became the first state in the United States to decriminalize physician-assisted suicide; opponents of the controversial law, however, attempted to have it overturned.

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What I have found concerning euthanasia and insurance: 'Verzekeraars zijn niet gehouden tot het doen van enige uitkering ingeval het overlijden direct of indirect een gevolg is van : .... b) zelfdoding of een poging daartoe, anders dan een euthanasie welke uitgevoerd wordt conform de door het Ministerie van Justitie uitgevaardigde richtlijnen;' It's hard to give the full translation, but what I can conclude from this is that insurance companies will not give payment when someone commits suicide or tries to commit suicide, except when it's euthanasia and executed according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Justice.

cavfancier wrote:

No. Did I misunderstand (explain if I did)? I thought you were inferring that life insurance does cover euthanasia. It doesn't here, and not suicide either.

My mistake. I won't bore you with an explanation.

Thanks for the information Walter.

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Information in your will becomes available after your death. If you want to avoid heroic measures, get a Living Will. I think forms are available on the internet.

Also find someone to hold Durable Power of Attorney (lawyer needed here who can also do Living Will at the same time). This person will make life and death decisions for you if you are unable to make them yourself.

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I am currently watching my father turn from a vibrant and healthy man into an incoherent, wheelchair bound shadow of his former self. I hope that if I ever get that way there will be a way to end the suffering quickly and painlessly. And I hope I will have the strength to do it.

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Not to be a smartass or disrespectful, but I would leave it to a doctor.

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But I know what you mean.

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ya, no offense but i think you found the wrong chat room, this is a chat room for philosophical conversation, you know like philosophers from the past like John Dee, the idiots chat room is else where, my god, is that the best you can come up with, attempted suicide. wow, i don't know if there are real philosphers out there if this is what we're dealing with.

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nn wrote:

ya, no offense but i think you found the wrong chat room, this is a chat room for philosophical conversation, you know like philosophers from the past like John Dee, the idiots chat room is else where, my god, is that the best you can come up with, attempted suicide. wow, i don't know if there are real philosphers out there if this is what we're dealing with.

Maybe you should go f*ck yourself. How's that for a debate topic?

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cavfancier wrote:

Suicides are definitely not covered under life insurance. Attempted suicides are generally referred to a hospital if charged, not prison. As for euthanasia, I think the conflict between a doctor's oath to preserve life, and those who simply wish to die will continue for many years. The AMA will not change their doctrine any time soon. However, I don't think it's religion that gets in the way, just a strong lobby group. I think the most logical solution is to pass a law that allows people to put euthanasia as a stipulation in their will, should they become too infirm to want to go on.

Interesting comment about "infirmity" and suicide. Most of the attempted suicides I've seen in person and talked about via the phone have been under 30 years of age. The problem with these patients was mental not physical and yet, they did have an infirmity. Should they be encouraged to commit suicide, since to them, life has little meaning?

If they're encouraged to commit suicide, should health care professionals assist them?

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NickFun wrote:

I am currently watching my father turn from a vibrant and healthy man into an incoherent, wheelchair bound shadow of his former self. I hope that if I ever get that way there will be a way to end the suffering quickly and painlessly. And I hope I will have the strength to do it.

Have you heard about the Hemlock Society? I've read a little about it, but I'm not a member. Cool

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http://www.faqfarm.com/Insurance/Life/964

Topic: Life insurance after suicide.

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Miller - I believe that the active adverb here is "too". To carry the point forward, if a person believes that they will take their own life and stipulate in a "will" or other instrument that if the attempt to take their life fails and they have become "too infirmed" to finish the job - then please do it for them. This wish should be carried out.

Conversely, if they are in a "not too infirmed" state - ie, just talking to the health care professionals, then it is their duty to talk them down and get them in a right state of mind as to the benefits of life.

I don't see this as ambiguous.....

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Does your healthcare provider cover Euthanasia?

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