190.615. Death of a patient, not suicide or homicide--effect of order on life insurance--order does not authorize mercy killing or euthanasia. - Missouri Statutes

Death of a patient, not suicide or homicide--effect of order on lifeinsurance--order does not authorize mercy killing or euthanasia.

190.615. 1. A patient's death resulting from the withholding orwithdrawal in good faith of cardiopulmonary resuscitation under an outsidethe hospital do-not-resuscitate order is not, for any purpose, a suicide orhomicide.

2. The possession of an outside the hospital do-not-resuscitateidentification or execution of an outside the hospital do-not-resuscitateorder does not affect in any manner the sale, procurement, or issuance ofany policy of life insurance, nor does it modify the terms of an existingpolicy of life insurance. Notwithstanding any term of a policy to thecontrary, a policy of life insurance is not legally impaired or invalidatedin any manner by the withholding or withdrawal of cardiopulmonaryresuscitation from an insured patient possessing an outside the hospitaldo-not-resuscitate identification or outside the hospitaldo-not-resuscitate order.

3. A physician, health care facility, or other health care provideror a health care service plan, insurer issuing disability insurance,self-insured employee welfare benefit plan, or nonprofit hospital planshall not require a patient to possess an outside the hospitaldo-not-resuscitate identification or execute an out of hospitaldo-not-resuscitate order as a condition for being insured for or receivinghealth care services.

4. Sections 190.600 to 190.621 do not prejudice any right that apatient has to effect the obtaining, withholding, or withdrawal of medicalcare in any lawful manner apart from sections 190.600 to 190.621. In thatrespect, the rights of patients authorized under sections 190.600 to190.621 are cumulative.

5. The provisions of sections 190.600 to 190.621 shall not beconstrued to condone, authorize, or approve mercy killing or euthanasia, orto permit any affirmative or deliberate act or omission to shorten or endlife.

(L. 2007 H.B. 182)