Who makes medical decisions if the president is in a coma?
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March 29, 2024, 02:01:38 AM
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  Who makes medical decisions if the president is in a coma?
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Author Topic: Who makes medical decisions if the president is in a coma?  (Read 1207 times)
President Johnson
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« on: December 29, 2020, 05:48:26 AM »
« edited: December 29, 2020, 05:52:01 AM by President Johnson »

I think this a very interesting question: Who makes medically related decisions for the president if he or she is in a coma? The president's spouse, the vice president, or the doctors alone?

In my novel, I have an interesting scenario: The president is in a coma following an assassination attempt, 25th Amendment gets invoked. At a certain point, a second surgery must take place to remove certain bullet fragments from his chest. However, the First Lady - who is at odds with the president's inner circle - insists the surgery takes place in a Las Vegas Hospital (where the shooting occurred), but the vice president - acting as president - wants to move her boss to Walter Reed for the surgery. Who in this case would make the decision? Or is it the doctors themselves? But even in this case, the vice president should have authority over them?
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brucejoel99
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« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2020, 02:19:42 PM »

In the absence of a living will or an advance directive from the President, spouses are usually the ones who get to make medical treatment decisions. If a spouse &/or children don't exist or aren't available, then - depending on the jurisdiction - a "close friend" familiar with the person's values (i.e. possibly the Vice President/Acting President in this scenario) can make the decision, & some jurisdictions have developed mechanisms for "unbefriended" patients, usually involving choices by designated physicians (e.g., the President's doctor, the official physician to the President, etc.) often in conjunction with other physicians (presumably a medical team) &/or ethics committees.
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The Dowager Mod
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« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2020, 04:39:27 PM »

Spouse or next of kin?
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President Johnson
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« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2020, 06:15:40 AM »

In the absence of a living will or an advance directive from the President, spouses are usually the ones who get to make medical treatment decisions. If a spouse &/or children don't exist or aren't available, then - depending on the jurisdiction - a "close friend" familiar with the person's values (i.e. possibly the Vice President/Acting President in this scenario) can make the decision, & some jurisdictions have developed mechanisms for "unbefriended" patients, usually involving choices by designated physicians (e.g., the President's doctor, the official physician to the President, etc.) often in conjunction with other physicians (presumably a medical team) &/or ethics committees.

The question though is whether there isn't an advanced national interest at stake, and the First Lady or First Gentleman has no jurisdiction to make such decisions. I guess it could be tested before court if a disagreement were ever to occur.
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brucejoel99
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« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2020, 01:39:47 PM »

In the absence of a living will or an advance directive from the President, spouses are usually the ones who get to make medical treatment decisions. If a spouse &/or children don't exist or aren't available, then - depending on the jurisdiction - a "close friend" familiar with the person's values (i.e. possibly the Vice President/Acting President in this scenario) can make the decision, & some jurisdictions have developed mechanisms for "unbefriended" patients, usually involving choices by designated physicians (e.g., the President's doctor, the official physician to the President, etc.) often in conjunction with other physicians (presumably a medical team) &/or ethics committees.

The question though is whether there isn't an advanced national interest at stake, and the First Lady or First Gentleman has no jurisdiction to make such decisions. I guess it could be tested before court if a disagreement were ever to occur.

Under the letter of the law as it currently stands, there is not.
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Kingpoleon
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« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2020, 08:41:40 PM »

The question though is whether there isn't an advanced national interest at stake, and the First Lady or First Gentleman has no jurisdiction to make such decisions. I guess it could be tested before court if a disagreement were ever to occur.
The Acting President could sue if he wants to look like a jerk, but >90% of judges would laugh it out of court.
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Ferguson97
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« Reply #6 on: January 15, 2021, 03:01:38 AM »

That brings a very interesting question - what if the President has a do not resuscitate order?
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brucejoel99
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« Reply #7 on: January 15, 2021, 03:12:34 AM »

That brings a very interesting question - what if the President has a do not resuscitate order?

That'd be an interesting question, legally speaking. In reality, of course, there's no way it's being abided by.
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Jolly Slugg
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« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2021, 03:41:54 AM »

Dave from the movie "Dave" (1993) did subvert the Constitution but he had to do *something* to stop Bob Alexander's attempt to become President. And it's because of Dave's actions that the nation mourns when the real President Bill Mitchell is laid to rest in Arlington National. Because of Dave's Jobs bill, Bill Mitchell is remembered as a second FDR and not as another Richard Nixon.
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