Tennessee § 32-11-110 - Construction and effect of chapter — Signatures — Severability — Liability for complying with chapter.

§ 32-11-110. Construction and effect of chapter — Signatures — Severability — Liability for complying with chapter.

The withholding or withdrawal of medical care from a declarant in accordance with this chapter shall not, for any purpose, constitute a suicide, euthanasia or homicide. The making of a declaration pursuant to § 32-11-104 shall 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 of an existing policy of life insurance. No policy of life insurance shall be legally impaired or invalidated in any manner by withholding or withdrawal of medical care from an insured declarant. No physician, health care facility or other health care provider, and no health care service plan, insurer issuing disability insurance, self-insured employee welfare benefit plan, or nonprofit hospital plan, shall require any person to execute a declaration as a condition for being insured for, or receiving, health care services. Nothing in this chapter shall impair or supersede any legal right or legal responsibility that any person may have to effect the withholding or withdrawal of medical care in any lawful manner. In this respect, the provisions of this chapter are cumulative. This chapter shall create no presumption concerning the intention of an individual who has not executed a declaration to consent to the use, withholding or withdrawal of medical care. A competent declarant, unable to sign the declaration, may make a signature as provided in § 1-3-105. If any provision of this chapter or the application of any provision of this chapter to any person or circumstances is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this chapter are severable. No physician or health facility that, acting in accordance with the requirements of this chapter, causes the withholding or withdrawal of medical care from a patient, shall be subject to civil liability therefrom. No health care provider, acting under the direction of a physician, who participates in the withholding or withdrawal of medical care in accordance with this chapter shall be subject to any civil liability. No physician, or health care provider acting under the direction of a physician, who participates in the withholding or withdrawal of medical care in accordance with this chapter shall be guilty of any criminal act or of unprofessional conduct. No physician or health care provider shall be subject to civil or criminal liability or considered guilty of unprofessional conduct as a result of actions under this chapter that are in accord with reasonable medical standards or as a result of another physician's or health care provider's actions or failure to act in accordance with this chapter. Acts 1985, ch. 355, § 10; 1991, ch. 344, § 7. Cross-References. Applicability of this section to power of attorney for health care provisions, § 34-6-212 . Power of attorney for health care, life insurance unaffected, § 34-6-213 . Attorney General Opinions. Constitutionality, OAG 86-05, 1986 Tenn. AG LEXIS 213 (1/16/86).