In Montana, where physician-assisted suicide is not legal, the government does not have that right. The law in Montana is, however, in a confused state, which has opened the door to possible legalization.
To prevent that from happening, tell your legislators to vote "Yes" on HB 505!
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* Dr. Stevens states:
8. Today, for patients
under the Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid), there is also a financial
incentive to commit suicide: The Plan covers the cost. The Plan's
"Statements of Intent for the April 1, 2012 Prioritized List of Health
Services," states:
"It is the intent of the
[Oregon Health Services] Commission that services under ORS
127.800-127.897 (Oregon Death with Dignity Act) be covered for those
that wish to avail themselves to those services."
9. Under the Oregon
Health Plan, there is also a financial incentive towards suicide because
the Plan will not necessarily pay for a patient's treatment. For
example, patients with cancer are denied treatment if they have a "less
than 24 months median survival with treatment" and fit other criteria.
This is the Plan's "Guideline Note 12."
10. The term, "less than
24 months median survival with treatment," means that statistically
half the patients receiving treatment will live less than 24 months (two
years) and the other half will live longer than two years.
11. Some of the patients
living longer than two years will likely live far longer than two
years, as much as five, ten or twenty years depending on the type of
cancer. This is because there are always some people who beat the odds.
12. All such persons who
fit within "Guideline Note 12" will nonetheless be denied treatment.
Their suicides under Oregon's assisted suicide act will be covered.
Affidavit of Kenneth Stevens, MD, filed in Leblanc v. Canada, para. 8-12, attaching excerpts of the
Oregon Health Plan guidelines, available at
http://maasdocuments.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/signed-stevens-aff-9-18-12.pdf