Summary
Summary
The Vermont Board of Medical Practice and Office of Professional Regulation are reading the state’s assisted suicide law to require health care professionals, regardless of their conscience or oath, to counsel patients on doctor-prescribed death as an option. Although Act 39, Vermont’s assisted suicide bill, passed with a very limited protection for attending physicians who don’t wish to dispense death-inducing drugs themselves, state medical licensing authorities have construed a separate, existing mandate to counsel and refer for “all options” for palliative care to include a mandate that all patients hear about the “option” of assisted suicide.
Watch
Press Releases
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May 23rd, 2017Victory for Vermont health professionals after pro-suicide group drops appeal
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April 5th, 2017Vt. health professionals planning next legal steps after decision on conscientious objection to providing suicide info
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September 26th, 2016Health professionals ask court to stop Vermont from forcing them to help kill patients
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July 20th, 2016Vermont health professionals: Don’t force us to help kill our patients
Case Documents
Court
Title
Date
Appellate Court
5/22/2017