REJECTING THE RIGHT TO DIE

November 1999
		Congress has approved legislation that would penalize physicians who assist in suicides. The vote overrides an Oregon law from 1997 that allows doctors to prescribe lethal doses of painkillers for their patients.

Forum Introduction. Is effective legislation attainable? Was Oregon a good model? Is euthanasia legal? How do insurance agencies react to doctor-assisted suicide? Does a dying person have different rights? Manipulating a dying person's decision   Oct. 27, 1999: The House votes against assisted suicide. Nov. 24, 1998: Assisted suicide in Oregon. Browse the NewsHour's coverage of health.     Congressman Dave Weldon Oregon Department of Justice U.S. House of Representatives	Sandy Loven of Trappe, PA asks: How are insurance companies handling physician-assisted suicide as opposed to true suicides? Can beneficiaries collect from a physician-assisted suicide? If so, what does this imply for beneficiaries currently denied benefits because of suicide? Republican Congressman Dave Weldon of Florida responds: Ms. Loven, You bring up an interesting point. I would guess that would depend on the individual policies. But if physicians' assisted suicide is ever generally accepted here in the United States, I would imagine that insurance companies would take a hard look at that issue. And I would dare say that many, if not all, would consider disqualifying beneficiaries of individuals who die during a physicians-assisted ploy. David Schuman, Deputy Attorney General, Oregon responds: I do not know how insurance companies are dealing with assisted suicides. One provision of the Oregon statute expressly directs insurance companies NOT to treat a statutorily-legal "death with dignity" as a suicide. I do not know if the companies are observing that law. Since there were only 15 of these events, I doubt if the insurance industry is spending much effort trying to figure out how to deal with them.