2023 Iowa Code › Title IV - PUBLIC HEALTH › Chapter 144D - PHYSICIAN ORDERS FOR SCOPE OF TREATMENT › Section 144D.4 - General provisions.

144D.4 General provisions.
1. If an individual is a qualified patient as defined in section 144A.2, the individual’s declaration executed under chapter 144A shall control health care decision making for theindividual in accordance with chapter 144A. If an individual has not executed a declarationpursuant to chapter 144A, health care decision making relating to life-sustaining proceduresfor the individual shall be governed by section 144A.7. A POST form shall not supersede adeclaration executed pursuant to chapter 144A. 2. If an individual has executed a durable power of attorney for health care pursuant to chapter 144B, the individual’s durable power of attorney for health care shall control healthcare decision making for the individual in accordance with chapter 144B. A POST form shallnot supersede a durable power of attorney for health care executed pursuant to chapter 144B. 3. If the individual’s physician or physician assistant has issued an out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate order pursuant to section 144A.7A, the POST form shall not supersedethe out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate order. 4. Death resulting from the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures pursuant to an executed POST form and in accordance with this chapter does not, for anypurpose, constitute a suicide, homicide, or dependent adult abuse. 5. The executing of a POST form does not affect in any manner the sale, procurement, or issuance of any policy of life insurance, nor shall it be deemed to modify the terms ofan existing policy of life insurance. A policy of life insurance is not legally impaired orinvalidated in any manner by the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedurespursuant to this chapter notwithstanding any term of the policy to the contrary. 6. A health care provider, hospital, health care facility, health care service plan, insurer issuing disability insurance, self-insured employee welfare benefit plan, or nonprofit hospitalplan shall not require any person to execute a POST form as a condition of being insured for,or receiving, health care services. 7. This chapter does not create a presumption concerning the intention of an individual who has not executed a POST form with respect to the use, withholding, or withdrawal oflife-sustaining procedures in the event of a terminal condition. 8. This chapter shall not be interpreted to affect the right of an individual to make decisions regarding use of life-sustaining procedures as long as the individual is able todo so, nor to impair or supersede any right or responsibility that any person has to effectthe withholding or withdrawal of medical care in any lawful manner. In that respect, theprovisions of this chapter are cumulative. 9. This chapter shall not be construed to condone, authorize, or approve mercy killing or euthanasia, or to permit any affirmative or deliberate act or omission to end life other thanto permit the natural process of dying. 10. A POST form executed between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2012, as part of the patient autonomy in health care decisions pilot project created pursuant to 2008 Iowa Acts, ch. 1188,§36, as amended by 2010 Iowa Acts, ch. 1192, §58, shall remain effective until revoked oruntil a new POST form is executed pursuant to this chapter. 2012 Acts, ch 1008, §5; 2012 Acts, ch 1133, §95; 2014 Acts, ch 1026, §143; 2022 Acts, ch 1066, §19 Subsection 3 amended Thu Dec 29 22:59:33 2022 Iowa Code 2023, Section 144D.4 (17, 1)