Iowa Code 144A.11 – General provisions
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1. Death resulting from the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures pursuant to a declaration or out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate order and in accordance with this chapter does not, for any purpose, constitute a suicide, homicide, or dependent adult abuse.
Terms Used In Iowa Code 144A.11
- Adult: means an individual eighteen years of age or older. See Iowa Code 144A.2
- Declaration: means a document executed in accordance with the requirements of section 144A. See Iowa Code 144A.2
- Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
- Health care provider: means a person, including an emergency medical care provider, who is licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized or permitted by the law of this state to administer health care in the ordinary course of business or in the practice of a profession. See Iowa Code 144A.2
- Hospital: means hospital as defined in section 135B. See Iowa Code 144A.2
- Out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate order: means a written order signed by a physician, executed in accordance with the requirements of section 144A. See Iowa Code 144A.2
- Person: means a natural person. See Iowa Code 154A.1
- Physician: means a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery in this state. See Iowa Code 144A.2
- Terminal condition: means an incurable or irreversible condition that, without the administration of life-sustaining procedures, will, in the opinion of the attending physician, result in death within a relatively short period of time or a state of permanent unconsciousness from which, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, there can be no recovery. See Iowa Code 144A.2
2. The executing of a declaration pursuant to section 144A.3 or an out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate order pursuant to section 144A.7A does not affect in any manner the sale, procurement, or issuance of any policy of life insurance, nor shall it be deemed to modify the terms of an existing policy of life insurance. No policy of life insurance is legally impaired or invalidated in any manner by the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures pursuant to this chapter, notwithstanding any term of the policy to the contrary.
3. A physician, health care provider, health care service plan, insurer issuing disability insurance, self-insured employee welfare benefit plan, or nonprofit hospital plan shall not require any person to execute a declaration or an out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate order as a condition for being insured for, or receiving, health care services.
4. This chapter creates no presumption concerning the intention of an individual who has not executed a declaration or an out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate order with respect to the use, withholding, or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures in the event of a terminal condition.
5. This chapter shall not be interpreted to increase or decrease the right of a patient to make decisions regarding use of life-sustaining procedures as long as the patient is able to do so, nor to impair or supersede any right or responsibility that any person has to effect the withholding or withdrawal of medical care in any lawful manner. In that respect, the provisions of this chapter are cumulative.
6. This chapter shall not be construed to condone, authorize or approve mercy killing or euthanasia, or to permit any affirmative or deliberate act or omission to end life other than to permit the natural process of dying.