A health care proxy is an agent named in a health care declaration to make medical decisions for the person signing the document (the principal) when he or she is unable to make decisions for himself or herself. A health care declaration is a...
law and medicine
informed consent doctrine
The informed consent doctrine is a legal principle that holds healthcare providers accountable for ensuring that their patients are fully informed about any medical procedures or treatments before they agree to them. The idea behind this...
intermittent leave
According to 29 CFR § 825.202, “intermittent leave is FMLA leave taken in separate, non-consecutive blocks of time due to a single qualifying reason.” For example, an employee may occasionally take a half-day off in the event there is a flare...
mental health
Mental health and the law interact in numerous ways. The term "competence" signifies a legal conclusion that an individual is capable of entering into a binding contract, transferring assets, or participating in a legal proceeding. The...
mercy killing
Mercy killing is the active administration of euthanasia, with the intent of ending a patient’s life in a single act, as the Montana Supreme Court described in Baxter v. Montana. Mercy killing does not involve the consent of the patients; nor...
palliative care
Medical care aimed at improving quality of life and treating symptoms, rather than care intended to cure an illness. Palliative care may consist of medical, social, and emotional support and can be offered alongside curative treatment....
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003
The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 is a federal statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1531, that bans partial-birth abortion, also referred to as intact dilation and extraction, to terminate a pregnancy. In passing the statute, Congress found that “[a...
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) (also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or “Obamacare”) was a major piece of healthcare legislation that intended to decrease the costs of healthcare and increase access to lower...
physician-assisted suicide
As noted in the concurring opinion of Myers v. Schneiderman, physician-assisted suicide is when the patient performs a life-ending act with the assistance of a physician. By early 2024, physician-assisted suicide has been legalized in Oregon...
post mortem
Post mortem is Latin for "after death." Some common uses of the term “post-mortem” in a legal sense include the following:
Post-mortem tax planning involves creating a plan to reduce tax liability for the estate and its beneficiaries...