If MS took a hammer and beat Terri about the head right now until she died, would he not be charged with murder? If someone pulled Kervorkian out of jail and allowed him to inject Terri with some concoction that killed her, would he not be convicted of murder? (speaking of which, all this incident does raise the spectre of a Kervorkian appeal, mark my words)
By definition, this would mean that Terri is alive. And to withhold food and water for any number of days, would constitute neglect of any living person, by anyone's standard.
So how is it that MS and Judge Greer could possibly avoid being charged with neglect (in MS's case) and conspiracy to commit murder?
This is part of a very interesting article all should read it and post it.
http://www.theempirejournal.com/98981_terri_schiavo_could_be_sec.htm
According to records The Empire Journal has obtained from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the federal agency has initiated collection procedures against the Hospice of Florida Suncoast to recover some $14.8 million which they say was unlawfully paid to the hospice as a result of fraudulent claims made for Medicare reimbursement for patients that were not terminally ill. Such as Terri Schiavo, and therefore not eligible for hospice care. According to the 2004 annual report of HHS filed Dec.31, 2004, the agency has initiated collection procedures against the hospice.
Federal auditors have been cracking down on hospices like Florida Suncoast that seek Medicare payments for treating the terminally ill when the patients aren’t on the brink of death-----such as Terri Schiavo.
The federal agency has been trying to recover the Medicare overpayments made to the hospice since May, 1997 at the time when Michael Schiavo’s attorney, euthanasia advocate George Felos was chairman of the board.
Qui Tam (“who sues on behalf of the king as well as for himself”) is a provision of the Federal Civil False Claims Act that allows a private citizen to file a suit in the name of the U.S. Government charging fraud by government contractors and other entitles who receive or use government funds, and share in any money recovered.
Hospice care is covered under Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance).
That is if the patient is certified to be terminal.
George Felos also conveniently forgot to give notice to the court and her parents, Mary and Robert Schindler Sr. that he was chairman of the board of directors at the Hospice at the time and had been since at least Jan. 31, 1997 and perhaps earlier.