Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 54 - Health Care
Section 5429 - Pregnancy

(a) Living wills and health care decisions.--Notwithstanding the existence of a living will, a health care decision by a health care representative or health care agent or any other direction to the contrary, life-sustaining treatment, nutrition and hydration shall be provided to a pregnant woman who is incompetent and has an end-stage medical condition or who is permanently unconscious unless, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty as certified on the pregnant woman's medical record by the pregnant woman's attending physician and an obstetrician who has examined the pregnant woman, life-sustaining treatment, nutrition and hydration:
(1) will not maintain the pregnant woman in such a way as to permit the continuing development and live birth of the unborn child;
(2) will be physically harmful to the pregnant woman; or
(3) will cause pain to the pregnant woman that cannot be alleviated by medication.
(b) Rule for orders.--Notwithstanding the existence of an order or direction to the contrary, life-sustaining treatment, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, nutrition and hydration shall be provided to a pregnant patient unless, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty as certified on the pregnant patient's medical record by the attending physician and an obstetrician who has examined the pregnant patient, life-sustaining treatment, nutrition and hydration:
(1) will not maintain the pregnant patient in such a way as to permit the continuing development and live birth of the unborn child;
(2) will be physically harmful to the pregnant patient; or
(3) would cause pain to the pregnant patient that cannot be alleviated by medication.
(c) Pregnancy test.--Nothing in this chapter shall require a physician to perform a pregnancy test unless the physician has reason to believe that the woman may be pregnant.
(d) Payment of expenses by Commonwealth.--
(1) In the event that treatment, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, nutrition and hydration are provided to a pregnant woman, notwithstanding the existence of a living will, health care decision by a health care representative or health care agent, order or direction to the contrary, the Commonwealth shall pay all usual, customary and reasonable expenses directly, indirectly and actually incurred by the pregnant woman to whom such treatment, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, nutrition and hydration are provided.
(2) The Commonwealth shall have the right of subrogation against all moneys paid by any third-party health insurer on behalf of the pregnant woman.
(3) The expenditures incurred on behalf of the pregnant woman constitute a grant, and a lien may not be placed upon the property of the pregnant woman, her estate or her heirs.

Cross References. Section 5429 is referred to in section 5456 of this title.

Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes