http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=9577
Immigrant’s death linked to inability to pay for medical care
March 11, 2011
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A comatose immigrant woman died after she was discharged from Georgetown University Hospital and removed from her feeding tubes—against the wishes of her family—in a case that has raised concerns about the impact of finance on medical care.
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A New York Times report on the case quotes bioethicist Arthur Caplan: “Any hint that withdrawing treatment might be linked to financial considerations—that’s a big ethical no-no. That’s death panel stuff.”
Moreover, providing nutrition through a feeding tube is not normally classified as “treatment,” but as fundamental “care” for a patient. The Vatican has indicated that the removal of nutrition and hydration, in order to hasten the advent of death, is never morally acceptable.
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Having just had to make a similar hard decision, I can understand how difficult it is.
In my case it was easy since Frau Reinke and I had discussions about it as recent as the week before the inevitable happened.
That’s why it’s important to have all your papers in order.
Her wish was always to go home. If she couldn’t, she didn’t want absurd heroics. It never came to that. But, I was ready to execute her wishes.
To have someone’s ability to pay intrude on decisions is sad. To have it at a supposedly “catholic” institution is very sad.
Donna Nobis Pacem
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Reinke Faces Life 