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Medicare benefits are not payable for services associated
with legally assisted active euthanasia For Medicare benefits to be payable for any medical service, that service must be "clinically relevant". That is, the service must be generally accepted by the medical profession as being necessary for the appropriate treatment of the patient to whom it is rendered. The Australian Medical Association, as the appropriate medical body, has advised that active euthanasia is neither generally accepted by the medical profession nor considered appropriate treatment for patients. As such, this service is not considered "clinically relevant" for Medicare benefits purposes. Dr Micheal Wooldridge Federal Minister for Health and family Services (Weekend Australian, Letters, 12 Oct 1996) |
