Coalition Letter on Withholding of Life-Sustaining Treatment

This coalition letter from a broad coalition of groups committed to the equality and dignity of people with disabilities, including the ACLU, urged the Department of Health and Human Services to address the critical issue of the withholding of life-sustaining treatment from people with disabilities. The letter addresses concerns about formal and informal clinical practices that discriminate against people with disabilities in accessing life-saving medical treatment – such as refusing to provide people with disabilities with access to scarce medical resources, or the denial or withdrawal of life-sustaining care without the individual’s or the family’s consent. The letter also expresses concern about the potential for disability discrimination in the application of futile care policies.