Michigan Patients, Doctors Sue Over Pregnancy Exclusion in End-of-Life Law

A coalition of patients, doctors, and advocates has filed a lawsuit challenging Michigan's "Pregnancy Exclusion" in the state's advance medical directive law, which overrides a pregnant person's end-of-life care decisions. The law prevents patient advocates from withholding or withdrawing medical treatment from pregnant patients, effectively forcing continued life support to protect fetal life, a restriction the plaintiffs argue violates due process, equal protection, free speech, and Michigan's constitutional protections for reproductive freedom. This challenge points out that while Michigan broadly protects reproductive rights, this carve-out contradicts the 2022 constitutional amendment affirming the right to make decisions related to pregnancy. The lawsuit, filed against Governor Gretchen Whitmer and other state officials, contends the exclusion infringes on bodily autonomy and personal medical decision-making. Emergency medicine physician Viktoria Koskenoja, one of the plaintiffs, highlights the real-world implications as she drafted an advance directive to refuse life support even if pregnant. The state has not commented on the pending litigation but affirms its commitment to reproductive freedom.