In this morning’s Hartford Courant, there was a letter to the editor from Kenneth Stevens, MD, of Sherwood, Oregon. I have reproduced, below, it in its entirety directly from the Hartford Courant’s web page. I feel it’s that important.
Suicide Bill Can Have Unintended Consequences
I am a cancer doctor in Oregon, where physician-assisted suicide is legal. I am also vice president of the Physicians for Compassionate Care Education Foundation, which opposes assisted suicide.
When considering this issue [editorial, Oct. 11, "Docs Deserve An Answer"], The Courant and its readers should remember the names Barbara Wagner and Randy Stroup. Wagner was an Oregon resident who died last year. The Oregon Health Plan (Oregon Medicaid) had refused to pay for a cancer drug to possibly prolong her life and offered to pay for her assisted suicide instead. This position saved the plan money.
Stroup had a similar experience. The plan would not pay for a drug to prolong his life and ease his pain, but would pay for his suicide. He said: "What is six months of life worth? To me it's worth a lot. This is my life they're playing with."
In both cases, the Oregon Health Plan's position was possible only because assisted suicide is legal in Oregon.
With assisted suicide now proposed in Connecticut, will you and your families be the next Barbara Wagner or Randy Stroup?
Kenneth Stevens, M.D., Sherwood, Ore.
Copyright © 2009, The Hartford Courant (http://www.courant.com/)
I was stunned to think that an insurance company would pay for death and not for life. If Connecticut passes such legislation, I hope it has a provision in it to prevent assisted death when the patient wants assisted life.
I have no problem with assisted suicide. When an illness produces unbearable pain and suffering with no hope for recovery, I believe it should be allowed with the patient’s request. This could also be addressed in a person’s Advance Health Care Directive (Living Will).
I would prefer a different name however, such as Compassionate Termination of Life.
1 comment:
I'm not sure how I feel about assisted suicide in general...but I'm not surprised the insurance company was opting for death over life. Ins. companies are just that..companies. We always expect them to be "human" and really it's just a business. It's all about the money. Sad but true.
Post a Comment