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.

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

https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/two-doctors-convicted-falsely-certifying-patients-terminally-ill-part-88-million

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker

Thursday, May 5, 2016

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.

Robert Falcon Ouellette Parliament Speech

http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2016/05/robert-falcon-ouellette-suicide-assisted-suicide-speech-in-parliament/#.Vy1XCSghzzJ

Editor's Note Mr. Ouellette, a 38-year-old Cree, references Attawapiskat. Last month the Canadian parliament held an emergency debate on Aboriginal suicides after 11 people, nine of them minors, attempted suicide in one weekend in Attawapiskat, a remote community of 2,000 in northern Ontario.

The following is excerpted from the speech delivered by Robert Falcon Ouellette MP (Winnipeg Centre Liberal) on Monday May 2.

Robert Falcon Ouellette MP

"[Bill C-14] is taking us down a path that is very 

dangerous, and we do not know where it ends."

Madam Speaker, a report in The Globe and Mail on April 24, 2016, says 13-year-old Sheridan Hookimaw killed herself on the banks of the river that winds through Attawapiskat. The sickly girl had been flown out for weekly medical appointments. She wanted to end her pain, and in the process, she set off a chain reaction not only in her community but in communities right across this country, which we are still dealing with today.

Canadian parliamentary debate: Without amendment, Bill C-14 "will protect no one."

Garnett Genuis, MP

Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park ­Fort Saskatchewan, CPC) . . .

I want to be clear that I do not believe in an all-or-nothing approach. Many of my colleagues and I who have broad philosophical concerns about what is happening here are still willing to vote in favour of legislation that does not re-criminalize euthanasia, if it advances positively in the direction of saving some lives, especially minimizing the risk to vulnerable persons. However, this legislation does not contain meaningful safeguards. Without amendment, it will protect no one.

We know that this law has written exceptions. However, it has exceptions to the exceptions; and may I say it has exceptions to the exceptions that are not at all exceptional?

This legislation has a requirement for the provision of written consent. However, if people cannot provide written consent, someone else can do it on their behalf.

This legislation prescribes a waiting period. However, the waiting period does not apply in the event of possible imminent death or loss of capacity.

There is so much ambiguity here.

Canada: Liberal MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette is Voting "NO"

Robert-Falcon Ouellette, MP

http://aptn.ca/news/2016/04/20/indigenous-liberal-mp-ouellette-voting-against-governments-assisted-dying-bill/

Liberal MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette says he plans to vote against his party’s proposed bill to legalize medically assisted dying [assisted suicide and euthanasia].

Ouellette said the federal government should work around the deadline and delay legalizing assisted death for at least five to 10 years until it’s absolutely clear what sort of impact it would have in all corners of Canadian society.

Why on Earth is Anyone Surprised By the Rise in US Suicides? Advertising Works.

"Though the economy may well have contributed to this rise,
True Dignity calls everyone’s attention to a fact that is being ignored. 1998 was the year in which Oregon became the first state in the nation  to put legalized assisted suicide into practice."

From True Dignity Vermont:

News sources are reporting with surprise and seeming alarm on the Center for Disease Control's newly released statistics showing that deaths by suicide in the entire US are on the rise.  Why the surprise?  It has been common knowledge since the rise of mass media, and even before, that advertising works.

True Dignity has neither the expertise nor the time to analyze the CDC report’s statistics  in detail.   A few quotes will suffice to paint the picture of our current situation.

“The suicide rate in the United States increased by 24% from 1999 through 2014…among all groups.  The increase in suicide rate has been steady since 1999, before which there was a consistent decline since 1986…”  (USA Today, April 22, 2016, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/04/22/suicide-rate-rise-us/83284568/).