I suppose I should've been more helpful about this topic, instead of utterly incensed by what this couple is going through. Here is some basic info.

http://liv-will1.uslivingwillregistry.com/forms.html

Alice, I knew you would understand this issue. The very fact that this HMO thinks it has the right to make those decisions makes me afraid for the future of all patients. Are they now going to put a "death algorithm" in place? Like, you can be 85 years old and be able to live as long as you are alert. But not if you have an infection. Or if your kidneys are failing.

No one has the right to tell me when I should die.

Mvoyvodich, It can be overwhelming to think about putting a will or health directive together but it doesn't have to be. And you can change it at any point. You have to let your family and/or friends know about it too. And it helps if everyone agrees to your wishes or at least to abide by them so there won't be a feud while you are in a coma or on life support!

Thanks, Abby, for the info. The problem I was trying to point out here is that even with those things in place, HMO's are now trying to "dispose" of both the legality and the patient. Makes me ill.

To make matters worse, I believe they are trying not to diagnose this patient because then this woman would have a reason to sue them. If he doesn't get a diagnosis, they can claim that he was at the end of his life for no apparent reason other than kidney failure. It's a delightful new game those in medicine are playing. If you don't definitively diagnose a patient, they can't sue you for not helping them. And if they make you wait until the statute of limitations for medical malpractice run out (in your particular state), then they can help you and not be liable. It seriously is all about covering their behinds.

This situation has been handed over to a medical mediator who will make medical decisions until the delayed court date. Can any of you imagine not being able to make health decisions for yourself and then having a stranger make them for you instead of your family? This topic is very troubling.

Annie