Medical groups seek 'futile care' law compromise

Desperate to not be forced to keep patients alive longer when the money's run out and hope is dim, medical groups with the silent support of insurance companies are offering to cut a bit more slack on the current tight time limits for families to seek another hospital. Texas's brutal futile care law has united right-to-lifers and ACLU liberals and compassionate people of all political stripes against hospitals trying to save a buck by quickly pulling plugs. With an outraged public forcing politicians to apply major changes to the law the Texas Medical Association has reversed course and offered a compromise which keeps the law but adds a bit more time.

Too little, too late. Pull the plug on the current futile care law and ignore TMA compromises.

This has been another rant against the evil hospitals that hopefully may have to keep me alive against their accountant's wishes. On the other hand, if I and my family want me to die with dignity tell the politicians and the hospitals to stay the Hell away. I don't see any contradiction - these are primarily family decisions who can seek the best advice from medical experts but hospital administrators have financial conflicts of interest and should stay out.

Tags: Texas, hospitals, futile care, laws, medical