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Q: Non-residents and physician assisted suicide in Oregon ( No Answer,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: Non-residents and physician assisted suicide in Oregon
Category: Health
Asked by: timespacette-ga
List Price: $5.00
Posted: 14 Jul 2004 21:08 PDT
Expires: 13 Aug 2004 21:08 PDT
Question ID: 374283
Is it possible for non-residents to come to Oregon and benefit from
the physician assisted suicide law there? If not, what are the
requirements for becoming a resident?  Also, it looks to me like the
patient has to have a physician's prognosis of six months to live in
order to legally request assisted suicide.  Are there any provisions
for, say, quadraplegics or severe stroke victims who probably have
years ahead of them but whose quality of life is nil?   I should
qualify this question: I am a geriatric/hospice nurse who has seen too
much in the way of what I view as unnecessary suffering and I am in
the process of writing my own will and end-of-life wishes. I am in
good health and live in Washington state, not far from from Oregon.
Answer  
There is no answer at this time.

Comments  
Subject: Re: Non-residents and physician assisted suicide in Oregon
From: tbdean-ga on 25 Jul 2004 08:00 PDT
 
Oregon's "Death with Dignity" law is defined in 127.800§1.01 of
Oregon's State Statutes. The full text can be found here:

http://www.leg.state.or.us/ors/127.html

"Qualified patients" must be residents of Oregon, demonstrated by:
1) Possession of an Oregon Driver's License
2) Registraation to vote in Oregon
3) Owning / leasing property in Oregon
4) Filing on an Oregon tax return in the most recent tax year

The text is worded such that other factors may be used to demonstrate
residency. Certainly terminaly ill patients wouldn't be voting,
driving, and buying property.

However, even if a quadraplegic moved to Oregon, took up residency in
a hospice for a year, and filed taxes, they would not qualify. There
is no provision for non-terminal patients. Terminal being defined as:

"?Terminal disease? means an incurable and irreversible disease that
has been medically confirmed and will, within reasonable medical
judgment, produce death within six months. [1995 c.3 §1.01; 1999 c.423
§1]"

In 127.805 §2.01. ("Who may initiate a written request"), it clearly
states that  "No person shall qualify under the provisions of ORS
127.800 to 127.897 solely because of age or disability."

So no, it would not be possible.

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