Friday, June 3, 2016

New York Press Release: "Bills Will Allow the 'Perfect Crime'"

https://choiceisanillusion.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/new-york-media-release-06-03-16.pdf

FRIDAY  JUNE 2, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dore:  "New York's new assisted suicide bills, if enacted, will allow the perfect crime. They will encourage people with years to live to throw away their lives."

Contact: Margaret Dore (206) 697-1217

Albany, NY -- Attorney Margaret Dore, president of Choice is an Illusion, which has fought assisted suicide legalization efforts in many states, including New York, made the following statement in connection with bills pending before the New York State Legislature:

“There are new bills seeking to legalize ‘medical aid in dying,’ which is a euphemism for assisted suicide,” said Dore. (A. 10059 and S. 7579)

“A central problem with the bills is that a person assisting a suicide can have his or her own agenda,” Dore said. “For example, if the person will financially benefit from the patient’s death due to an inheritance, he or she will have a motivation to be sure that the death goes through. This may or may not be consistent with the patient’s choice.”

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

New York: Vote “No” on A. 10059 and S. 7579

New York's assisted suicide bills are deceptively written, stacked against the patient and a recipe for elder abuse. For a one page handout, click hereFor more in depth information, click here 

Bill Highlights

1.  A. 10059 and S. 7579 seek to legalize “medical aid in dying,” a euphemism for assisted suicide and euthanasia. There is no requirement that eligible patients be dying.

2.  Patients are instead required to have a prediction of less than six months to live. In real life, such predictions are often wrong.

3.  Predictions are wrong due to misdiagnosis and because predicting life expectancy is an inexact science. See e.g.,  Jessica Firger, “12 million Americans misdiagnosed each year,” CBS NEWS, 4/17/14, at http://www.cbsnews.com/news/12-million-americans-misdiagnosed-each-year-study-says

Sunday, May 22, 2016

South Africa: Dore Expert Witness Affidavit

Below, an excerpt from the expert witness affidavit of Attorney Margaret K. Dore, filed in the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa, SCA Case No: 531/2015. 

The affidavit, including attachments, can be viewed by clicking here.

The Oregon and Washington Acts

12.  The Oregon and Washington "Death with Dignity Acts" legalize physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia as those terms are traditionally defined. See memo, pp. 2-3 (regarding definitions)  at "MD."

Friday, May 20, 2016

Media Release: Carter has been proved wrong; new law needed to prohibit assisted suicide & euthanasia

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Canada’s Bill C-14, which seeks to codify assisted suicide and euthanasia, is a recipe for elder abuse. Recommendations by the Senate Legal & Constitutional Affairs Committee do not solve the bill’s problems. The bill violates the Canadian Supreme Court case, Carter v Canada.  

Recent news stories have proven Carter wrong. This justifies a new look at the issue, including time for more study or a new law prohibiting euthanasia and assisted suicide. 

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Media Advisory: Lawyer Margaret Dore will speak in opposition to euthanasia bill at the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery

Ottawa, ON - (May 19, 2016) - Lawyer Margaret Dore will take part in a press conference in opposition to Bill C-14, which seeks to codify assisted suicide and euthanasia throughout Canada.

Who:


Lawyer Margaret Dore, president of Choice is an Illusion, which has been fighting efforts to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia in the United States, Canada and other countries.


When:


Friday, May 20, 2016, at 10:30 am


Where:


Charles Lynch Press Conference Room

Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery
Ottawa, Ontario Canada
______________________________

Contact information

Margaret Dore
(613) 899-0366
margaretdore@margaretdore.com

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Canada: Andrew Coyne: Who says the Supreme Court won’t change its mind on doctor-assisted suicide — yet again?

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/andrew-coyne-who-says-the-supreme-court-wont-change-its-mind-on-doctor-assisted-suicide-yet-again


If the court could reverse its decision before, it may again
Suppose Bill C-14, legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide, were to pass its expected vote in the House of Commons this week. What then?
Assuming it then passed in the Senate — perhaps a dangerous assumption — Canada would become one of the very few countries on Earth to make it lawful (that is by legislation) to kill someone with their consent. For now, eligibility to receive this service is restricted to mentally competent adults whose condition is “grievous and irremediable,” whose suffering, physical or mental, is “intolerable to them,” whose request is “voluntary,” and so on. For now.

Canada: Senate Report Recommendations Will Not Solve the Bill's Problems

https://choiceisanillusion.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/media-release-bil-c-14-regarding-repor.pdf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Canada’s Bill C-14, which seeks to codify assisted suicide and euthanasia, is a recipe for elder abuse.

Proposed recommendations by the Senate Legal & Constitutional Affairs Committee will not solve the bill’s problems.  The bill will encourage people with years, even decades, to live to throw away their lives.  The bill will remain seriously flawed and contrary to the Canadian Supreme Court case, Carter v. Canada, which envisioned a “carefully designed and monitored system of safeguards.”  The bill must be rejected.

Contact: Margaret Dore:   (613) 899-0366
margaretdore@margaretdore.com

Ottawa - Lawyer Margaret Dore, president of Choice is an Illusion, which has been fighting efforts to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia in the United States, Canada and other countries, made the following statement in connection with Canada’s Bill C-14:

“The recommendations made by the Senate Committee’s thoughtful report will not solve the bill’s problems,” said Dore. “Consider, for example, the recommendation to define ‘eligibility’ as a ‘serious and incurable terminal illness, disease or disability [for a person who has] been determined to be at the end of life.’  In Oregon, which has a similar terminal criteria, chronic conditions such as insulin dependent diabetes qualify.

Dore explained, "Chronic conditions qualify because, in practice, the eligibility determination is made without treatment. According to Oregon doctor, William Toffler, MD, the typical insulin dependent 18 year old with treatment will have decades to live, but without treatment will live less than a month. The Committee’s recommendation, if adopted and interpreted according to Oregon’s precedent, will encourage people with years, even decades to live, to throw away their lives.”

“The recommendations also raise a valid concern that there is nothing to ensure patient consent  when the lethal is administered,” said Dore. “Indeed, there is a complete lack of oversight at the death. In the case of assisted suicide, no witness, not even a doctor is required to be present.”

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Canada: Bill C-14 is a Recipe for Elder Abuse & Contrary to the Carter Case

https://choiceisanillusion.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/press-release-bill-c-14.pdf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dore:  "Canada’s Bill C-14, which seeks to codify assisted suicide and euthanasia, is a recipe for elder abuse.”

“The bill is contrary to the Canadian Supreme Court case, Carter v Canada, which envisioned a ‘carefully designed and monitored system of safeguards.’”

Contact: Margaret Dore:   (206) 697-1217
margaretdore@margaretdore.com

Ottawa, ON - Lawyer Margaret Dore, president of Choice is an Illusion, which has been fighting efforts to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia in the United States, Canada and other countries, made the following statement in connection with Canada’s Bill C-14, which seeks to codify assisted suicide and euthanasia into law.

"The bill refers to assisted suicide and euthanasia as 'medical assistance in dying,' but there is no requirement that a person be dying,” said Dore. “‘Eligible’ persons may have years, even decades, to live.”

Dore said, "The bill is a recipe for elder abuse. The patient's heir, who will financially benefit from the patient's death, is allowed to actively participate in signing the patient up for the lethal dose. There is no oversight over administration." Dore elaborated, "In the case of assisted suicide, not even a doctor or other medically trained person is required to be present at the death.  If the patient struggled, who would know?"

“The bill is a response to the Canadian Supreme Court decision, Carter v. Canada, which found a right to assisted suicide and euthanasia for ‘competent’ adults who ‘clearly consent,’” said Dore. The bill, however, does not comply with these requirements. Dore explained, “The bill does not even use the word ‘competent,’ except in the bill’s preamble, which does not have force of law. The bill violates Carter, which requires that the patient be a ‘competent adult.’”

Carter also envisioned  a ‘carefully designed and monitored system of safeguards,’” said Dore. “This would at the very least require oversight when the lethal dose is administered to the patient. The bill does not do so. There is also no required monitoring or investigation after the patient’s death.”

Monday, May 16, 2016

Military Veteran Groups Threatened by Assisted Suicide Study Bill in NH; Bill Defeated 174 to 123!

From True Dignity Vermont
http://www.truedignity.org/military-veteran-groups-threatened-by-assisted-suicide-study-proposals-in-nh/

To hear Representative Baldasaro's speech, click here
Rep Al Baldasaro
Rep. Al Baldasaro of the New Hampshire Legislature on May 11 gave an impassioned speech against a proposed “study committee” to look at “end of life choices.” Speaking on behalf of Veterans’ PTSD/TBI Commission, he cited the fact that New Hampshire is facing an epidemic of suicides among Veterans, and said, “What message are you sending to the community out there and all the good work every one of us has done to protect people from killing themselves? Now we want to make it easy?”
He said that opening the door to such a practice would have grave consequences for veterans at risk for suicide, and that even studying such a bill would threaten efforts to help veterans.   He clearly states that euphemisms such as “aid in dying” don’t change the fact that such laws promote suicide and threaten efforts to protect people from killing themselves.
***
On May 11, 2016, the New Hampshire House of Representatives defeated the bill, 174 to 123.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

New Power of Attorney Act Expressly Excludes "Death with Dignity"


Washington State's new uniform power of attorney act specifically says that “no rights under Washington’s death with dignity act, chapter 70.245 RCW may be exercised through a power of attorney.”  Session Law 5635, Section 219.

Monday, May 9, 2016

Two Doctors Convicted of Falsely Certifying Patients as Terminally Ill as Part of $8.8 Million Healthcare Fraud Scheme


LOS ANGELES – Two doctors were found guilty today of federal health care fraud charges for falsely certifying that Medicare patients were terminally ill, and therefore qualified for hospice care, when the vast majority of them were not actually dying.

Following a two-week trial, the doctors were found guilty of participating in a scheme related to the Covina-based California Hospice Care (CHC). Between March 2009 and June 2013, CHC submitted approximately $8.8 million in fraudulent bills to Medicare and Medi-Cal for hospice-related services, and the public health programs paid nearly $7.4 million to CHC.

The two doctors convicted today by a federal jury are:
  • Sri Wijegoonaratna, known as Dr. J., 61, of Anaheim, who was found guilty of seven counts of health care fraud; and
  • Boyao Huang, 43, of Pasadena, who was found guilty of four counts of health care fraud.