{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-311.637","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 311.637","heading":"Withholding or withdrawal of life -prolonging treatment under KRS","body":"311.621 to 311.643 not to constitute suicide -- Effect on insurance or health\ncare coverage -- Directives made outside KRS 311.621 to 311.643.\n(1) The withholding or withdrawal of life -prolonging treatment or artificially provided\nnutrition and hydration from a grantor in accordance with the provisions of KRS\n311.621 to 311.643 shall not, for any purpose, constitute a suicide. The making of\nan advance directive under KRS 311.621 to 311. 629, a medical order for scope of\ntreatment under KRS 311.6225, or a health care decision by a responsible party\nunder KRS 311.621 to 311.643 shall not affect in any manner the sale, procurement,\nor issuance of any policy of life insurance, nor shall it be  considered to modify the\nterms of an existing policy of life insurance. Notwithstanding any term of the policy\nto the contrary, no policy of life insurance shall be legally impaired or invalidated in\nany manner by a health care decision made by a surrogate or responsible party or by\nthe withholding or withdrawal from an insured patient any medical procedure or\nintervention which would serve only to prolong artificially the dying process.\n(2) No person, corporation, or governmental agency shall require or i nduce any person\nto execute a living will directive or a medical order for scope of treatment under\nKRS 311.6225, or to make a health care decision as a responsible party under KRS\n311.621 to 311.643, as a condition for a contract or for the provision of a ny service,\nmedical treatment, or benefit.\n(3) Nothing in KRS 311.621 to 311.643 shall be construed to impose any liability on a\nsurrogate or responsible party for any expenses of the grantor for which the\nsurrogate or responsible party would not otherwise have been liable.\n(4) KRS 311.621 to 311.643 shall not create a presumption concerning the intention of\nan adult who has revoked or has not executed an advance directive or a medical\norder for scope of treatment under KRS 311.6225, with respect to the use ,\nwithholding, or withdrawal of life -prolonging treatment if a terminal condition\nexists.\n(5) KRS 311.621 to 311.643 shall not affect the common law or statutory right of an\nadult to make decisions regarding the use of life -prolonging treatment, so long as\nthe adult is able to do so, or impair or supersede any common law or statutory right\nthat an adult has to effect the withholding or withdrawing of medical care.\n(6) KRS 311.621 to 311.643 shall not preclude or restrict the right of persons to make\nadvance directives outside the provisions of KRS 311.621 to 311.643; and KRS\n311.621 to 311.643 shall not restrict or preclude medical personnel, physicians,\nnurses, or health care facilities from following other written advance directives\nconsistent with accepted medical practice.","path":["KRS Chapter 311"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=44038","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:58:05Z","sha256":"53650e8e198a5ad1c88a5ddcfd69c4148438e9ab5d031997a6bd8c5f4b1c5285","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-311.636","next":"us-ky/krs-311.638"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}