Legal Aspects of Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Aspects of Health Care - Essay Example This essay will discuss three states stand on Euthanasia: Texas, Oklahoma and Washington. Texas was did not agree to euthanasia or PAS until 1999. Under the Texas Futile Act, certain patients are allowed the assistance of their hospitals or physicians to withdraw life support (Health and Safety Code). For instance, mechanical respiration can be stopped for those patients whose illness is terminal enough for this measure to be considered futile and unnecessary. This act allows the family the chance to review the hospital's decision when previously a court injunction could be used by the hospital to withdraw treatment without any notice. Also, no decision in this act is based on the monetary capacity of the patient thus the act creates no rift between classes: providing equal rights to all. Oklahoma is similar in its opinion of euthanasia and PSA. The state has a law which specifically prohibits assisted suicide. If a person commits an assisted suicide, he or she can be charged with a criminal act. Thus the state refuses to condone or authorize any means of assisted suicide. In the same way euthanasia is prohibited in Oklahoma under the general homicide laws.