Update: Fort Worth hospital has discontinued life support for pregnant, brain-dead woman
Source: Dalla Morning News
Update at 12:54 p.m.: Attorneys for the Muñoz family said in a statement that Marlise Muñoz was withdrawn from life support about 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
The Munoz and Machado families will now proceed with the somber task of laying Marlise Munozs body to rest, and grieving over the great loss that has been suffered, the statement says. May Marlise Munoz finally rest in peace, and her family find the strength to complete what has been an unbearably long and arduous journey.
The statement was released by attorneys Heather L. King and Jessica H. Janicek.
Read more: http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2014/01/jps-hospital-says-they-will-follow-court-order-in-munoz-case-discontinue-life-support.html/
pnwmom
(108,955 posts)cosmicone
(11,014 posts)from being an incubator for bible thumpers.
LiberalArkie
(15,703 posts)avebury
(10,951 posts)(who passed the bill the hospital clung to) or the hospital would have to absorb the cost from the moment the hospital refused to listen to the family. When the hospital imposed its will on the situation I think they lost any right to bill the family for any additional costs.
LiberalArkie
(15,703 posts)seattledo
(295 posts)I was billed by a hospital in WA for a procedure performed against my will.
avebury
(10,951 posts)If the family has an autopsy and determines the actual condition of the fetus, they might have a good case for a civil suit against the hospital. I would have no problem voting for a huge settlement for the family. They need to weigh the impact a court case would have on the hospital.
Years ago I had a cousin who had extensive biopsies done to determine how far, if at all, his Hodgkins had spread. One of his arteries was accidentally nicked resulting in time spent in the Special Care Unit and concern that he might not make it. The hospital ate the entire bill when he had to go back into the hospital and his stay in the SCU.
You had better believe that if were this family and the hospital had the gall to bill me for all the additional medical costs, I would be consulting an attorney about suing the hospital.
liberalhistorian
(20,814 posts)thing that happened to your cousin; a resident was doing a bone biopsy and nicked an artery. However, both she and her attending doc ignored what she'd done for nearly an entire day, despite my friend's protests that something was wrong (she'd previously fought cancer and won, so she knew what was likely happening). By that time, the internal bleeding of "dirty" arterial blood had gone on long enough to do extensive, irreparable damage to many critical organs. She was in the hospital for six months straight, suffering terribly, was in a rehab facility for a few more months, then seemed to be a bit on the mend. However, she relapsed, spent more months in the hospital, and finally succumbed nearly ten months later. Anger doesn't even begin to describe it. If that fucking idiot resident couldn't even do a basic test right without killing a patient, then she had no business being anywhere around patients or even being a doc in the first place. Her ignoring what she'd done, and her attending doc going along with it, was even more infuriating.
Her family filed a medical malpractice suit, of course, as they definitely should have done, and the hospital and doc's attorneys fought it tooth and nail, despite their OWN experts employed by the hospital saying that the hospital and the docs were at fault, slammed and trashed my friend in responsive pleadings filed with the court saying SHE was at fault (grrrrr!), etc., etc. The suit was filed shortly before she died, and the attorneys even fought allowing her family to be substituted as plaintiffs after her death, the fuckers.
Well, you can just imagine what consecutive months of hospitalization cost, especially at a fancy-pants hospital like that one. Shortly before her death, she and her family started getting hounded for payment; she'd told their insurance company she was disputing any and all bills the hospital and docs submitted so they were putting a hold on any payments until it was resolved. They continued getting hounded even after her death, and they told the hospital and docs to go fuck themselves, THEY were the cause of the hospitalizations and her suffering, they weren't getting a goddamned dime.
The hospital finally backed down in the lawsuit, being told by their own experts that it was futile, they were, indeed, at fault, and the records clearly showed that. The suit was settled and the hospital wanted the family to apply part of it to the bill. The family again told them to go to hell, they weren't getting a dime for killing my friend, and the court backed them up. It's been years and it's still saddening and infuriating.
I am very glad your cousin survived and I know full well how much he suffered, having seen it firsthand. Eric Munoz and his wife's family needs to tell this hospital to go to hell, fuck their bills, they aren't getting a fucking dime, it's all on THEM. They should not have to use up their insurance cap or file bankruptcy or any of the other fucking bullshit the medical establishment forces on people when they get sick or injured.
pnwmom
(108,955 posts)They were performing experimental procedures on a corpse, against the express wishes of the family. There is no standard medical protocol for keeping dead bodies going.
Jack Rabbit
(45,984 posts)It burden should be given to Governor Perry and GOP legislators. The Munoz family didn't want this, the hospital didn't want this, but the state government saber rattling right wing sentiment. Perhaps it's time for right wing morons to take personal responsibility for their behavior.
avebury
(10,951 posts)the tab for the idiocy of the people they vote into office, they will begin to rethink their support on election day. You cannot lay the blame solely on Perry and the GOP legislators, they did not get into office by themselves. The voters have to assume some degree of blame for what is going on.
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)should not have to pay.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)pnwmom
(108,955 posts)in a science experiment, since there is no protocol for doing this -- no standard medical procedure.
Horrifying.
BadgerKid
(4,549 posts)That goes against every medical protocol besides being, IMO, unethical and immoral.
pnwmom
(108,955 posts)Or if they even had one. It's hard to believe a board would have approved this, but this is Texas.
warrant46
(2,205 posts)Ass Clowns All
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)lunasun
(21,646 posts)pnwmom
(108,955 posts)for the care of her corpse, except for burial costs.
gerogie2
(450 posts)The family is totally liable for all medical bills. If she has Medicaid then the State of Texas may pay the bill, but the State of Texas may say it was an abortion and not pay. Since this bill is in the hundred of thousands of dollars most likely the family will file for bankruptcy protection. If the woman had health insurance the health insurance will pick 70-80% of the tab. Thank fully because of ObamaCare there was no ceiling on the woman's health care insurance payouts, so the debt won't be bad as it could have. Still 20-30% of a hospital bill in the hundred of thousands of dollars is still too much and bankruptcy will liquidate the amount due.
Thirty years ago I was married and my wife had a problem pregnancy that required an abortion at six months. Germany had laws against late term abortion and I was in the US Army and the Hyde Act prevented the Army from paying for or providing an abortion. I had to obtain legal counsel then go to court in Germany. Then once the court approved I had to find a doctor willing to do the procedure. I had to Pay $10k for the procedure which wiped out all of my $8k savings and with help from my family I borrowed $2k to pay the rest. My German lawyer only charged the minimum and I paid him off after two years.
Both of these situations were caused by legislators that cow tow to extreme fringe of religious fundamentalists that results in financially devastating families. The choice of abortion should be left up to the family.
warrant46
(2,205 posts)Like the Catlick church that has its Bishops campaign for the most outrageous Knuckle dragging Tea Baggers and encourages the sheep to give this same scum money--- thats $$$$ kiddies
lostincalifornia
(3,639 posts)The family will utilize a good attorney to argue the liability of the bill if they are billed
This is not a sure thing that the family will be liable
Not all situations are the same, in fact I would not be surprised if the hospital absorbs the costs before it gets to legal recourse, unless insurance is involved, then the insurance company will have their lawyers go at it
pnwmom
(108,955 posts)pnwmom
(108,955 posts)The procedures they carried out on the corpse did not constitute the practice of medicine, so the bills aren't medical bills.
Since she was no longer his wife and was in fact a corpse, I don't see how the hospital can hold the man responsible for the extended experiment they performed on the corpse -- without his consent.
gerogie2
(450 posts)Even if she was dead the estate is still responsible for the bills incurred by the estate.
pnwmom
(108,955 posts)did not incur this bill.
Once she died, the executor of her estate was responsible only for paying for her costs WHILE she was alive (including the costs of the attempted resuscitation), for the maintenance of any property she owned, and the costs of her burial -- not for the costs of an extended science experiment undertaken by the hospital against the explicit wishes of the executor.
lostincalifornia
(3,639 posts)pnwmom
(108,955 posts)and that the hospital wasn't following the law -- it was misinterpreting it. The judge agreed that the law didn't apply to a corpse.
The hospital clearly made a mistake. Even if it was a well-intentioned mistake, that doesn't give the hospital the right to foist the costs of its mistake onto the woman's estate.
gerogie2
(450 posts)Her estate is responsible for the medical bills encored whether she was dead or alive.
If the dead woman owns land then her estate is responsible for all taxes and utilities due before and after her death until the land is transferred and/or sold to another party. When you die that doesn't erase your bills. Your estate is responsible for the debts incurred. Since she was married then her husband would also be liable for her bills, most likely the wife & husband had the same health insurance coverage.
In a case like this bankruptcy is the most common option for the family facing such huge medical care bills.
pnwmom
(108,955 posts)to the corpse -- against the wishes of her executor -- did NOT constitute medical care. They were an assault on her body and they were a medical experiment without the family's consent.
Her estate is only responsible for the the cost of care involved in the attempt to save her life -- not for the costs of unlawfully hooking her corpse up to machines for months. And it WAS unlawful -- the judge agreed that the hospital erred in its interpretation of the law.
Erick Munoz, yes, is responsible for maintaining any property she owned. I already said that in another post. But once she died he was no longer her legal husband, and thus he wasn't responsible for any further medical costs. He was a widower; and legally, he was the owner of her corpse. He was responsible for getting her buried, but not for the costs of unlawfully -- and against his will -- maintaining the dead body in the hospital.
lostincalifornia
(3,639 posts)the doctors ruled her brain dead, even before this sad state of affairs
They took control away from the family
pnwmom
(108,955 posts)literally "pronounced" her brain dead, and that that made a legal difference. The judge rejected that argument.
uppityperson
(115,677 posts)nolabear
(41,930 posts)Sad, terrible story.
warrior1
(12,325 posts)I'm sorry that they put your family through this.
democrank
(11,084 posts)Mary in S. Carolina
(1,364 posts)Please look into John Peter Smith's hospital malpractice lawsuits (in the early 1990's). I think you will notice that they paid very small sums of money to many poor mothers after their babies died during child birth due to "lacerations to the head", etc.
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)A very tragic and sad situation.
musette_sf
(10,198 posts)^^^ headline from reproductive justice blog:
http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2014/01/26/hospital-agrees-obey-court-ruling-removes-mechanical-support-munoz-corpse/
SunSeeker
(51,504 posts)lunasun
(21,646 posts)A TX RW politician's wife and unborn child would have passed and been long buried regardless of law
Sicko what they did to Munoz family
Herself
(185 posts)SunSeeker
(51,504 posts)blackspade
(10,056 posts)This was a despicable display of callousness by a bunch cowardly religious idiots with no empathy or moral compass.
deurbano
(2,894 posts)LeftishBrit
(41,202 posts)dembotoz
(16,784 posts)rocktivity
(44,571 posts)CUE THE VONAGE THEME!
rocktivity
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)bravenak
(34,648 posts)My condolences to the Munoz family.
stg81
(351 posts)davidpdx
(22,000 posts)RIP to both the mom and child.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)warrant46
(2,205 posts)Todays_Illusion
(1,209 posts)our conservative media didn't play God this time.
leftyladyfrommo
(18,864 posts)Poor everyone.
Beacool
(30,247 posts)May Marlise and her unborn baby rest in peace. My condolences to her husband and family.
liberalhistorian
(20,814 posts)"bu..bu..bu...bu..but the BAAAAAABBBBYYYY!!!" poster is on this and the other thread. She was all over previous threads about it over the past several weeks pushing her very obvious agenda and yet she's somehow mysteriously silent on this and the other thread now that it's officially over. Hmmmmm.......................
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)through.