Video: Robert Painter speaks about the Texas futile care (death panel) law

Robert Painter addressed the Houston Disability Elder Law Association on the Texas 'Futile Care' law on October 19, 2010 at The Downtown Club at the Met, in Houston. This article provides links to the video from that presentation as well as other resources. Many Texans are surprised to learn that the Advance Directives Act of 1999 allows a hospital committee to act as a 'death panel' that can override a patient or family's treatment wishes, even to the point of withholding care, treatment, food and water from a patient. Plus, if the committee follows the procedures of this poorly thought-out law, then the committee's actions are fully immune from civil, criminal or adminitrative prosecution or review.

Resources

Video: Intro to the Texas Advance Directives Act (the death panel law), Part A, A step by step guide to the Texas death panel statute.

Video: Intro to the Texas Advance Directives Act (the death panel law), Part B, How a hospital committee can stop your health care when you want it to continue.

Video: Intro to the Texas Advance Directives Act (the death panel law), Part C, What happens after the hospital committee decides that your health care will stop.

Surviving Hospitals: Painter Law Firm's comprehensive site for patients and their families on how the medical futility (death panel) law works in Texas

Robert Painter's 8/19/09 Washington Times op ed, 'Death Panels Exist Already'

Robert Painter's September-October 2009 article in The Houston Lawyer magazine, 'Developments in Texas Advance Directives'