The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, also known as COBRA, is a federal statute, passed in 1985, that provides employees and their families the right to continue group health benefits under an employers group health plan if...
healthcare
controlled substance
A controlled substance is a drug, substance, or immediate precursor defined by the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. Under the Controlled Substances Act, it is unlawful, inter alia, for any person to manufacture, sell, prescribe, distribute...
Cruzan v. Missouri Department of Health (1990)
Overview:
Cruzan v. Missouri Department of Health (1990) is an important United States Supreme Court case involving an incompetent young adult and the “right to die.” This case was the first "right to die" case heard by the Supreme Court. In...
dependent care plan
Dependent Care Assistance Plan (DCAP) (better known as a dependent care flexible spending account (DPFSA)) is a type of flexible savings account (FSA) that can be used by individuals with dependents to reduce taxable income. A person with...
directive to physicians
A directive to physicians and family (also called living wills, health care directives, and advance directives) are legal mechanisms where an individual can choose to prevent medical personnel from using life sustaining treatments for life-...
DNA
DNA is an initialism for deoxyribonucleic acid, which contains the genetic information that makes up most living organisms. As stated by the National Human Genome Research Institute, most DNA can be found in the cell’s nucleus, though traces...
doctor-patient privilege
Doctor-patient privilege, also known as physician-patient privilege, refers to a confidential communication between the doctor and the patient that receives protection from disclosure.
Common law does not recognize doctor-...
durable power of attorney for health care
A durable power of attorney for health care is a legal document that gives another person the authority to make a medical decision for an individual.The person named to represent the individual is referred to as an agent or attorney-in-fact....
euthanasia
As described in the concurring opinion of Myers v. Schneiderman, euthanasia refers to bringing about the death of a patient to prevent additional suffering. The concurring opinion in Meyers also distinguished euthanasia from physician-...
flexible savings account (FSA)
A Flexible Savings Account (FSA) is a special type of account usually funded through a voluntary salary reduction agreement between an employee and its employer. Under such an agreement, the employee contributes to the FSA by allowing their...