September 21, 2007 1:09PM 

# Upcoming Cato Forum on the Rights of Terminally Ill Patients 

By [Michael F. Cannon](https://www.cato.org/people/michael-f-cannon) 

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In 2006, a panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals [ruled](http://www.wlf.org/upload/04-5350a.pdf) that terminally ill patients have a constitutionally protected right to purchase and use experimental drug treatments not yet approved by the federal government.

On August 7 of this year, the full D.C. Circuit [overturned](http://www.wlf.org/upload/08-06-07AbigailEnBancOpinion.pdf) the panel ruling, holding that terminally ill patients have no such constitutional right.

On September 25, this coming Tuesday, the Cato Institute will host a policy forum titled, “[Should the Government Insert Itself between Dying Patients and Unproven Therapies?](https://www.cato.org/event.php?eventid=3932)”

Debating the rights of terminally ill patients will be [**Scott Ballenger**](http://www.lw.com/Attorneys.aspx?page=AttorneyBio&attno=02954), the lead counsel for the plaintiffs in that case; [**Ezekiel Emanuel**](http://www.bioethics.nih.gov/people/emanuel-bio.shtml), a bioethicist with the National Institutes of Health and a leading critic of the panel’s ruling; and [**yours truly**](https://www.cato.org/people/cannon.html).

The forum will be from 12–1:30pm, followed by a luncheon. Register [here](https://www.cato.org/event.php?eventid=3932).

##### Related Tags 

[General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Health Care](https://www.cato.org/health-care), [Constitutional Law](https://www.cato.org/constitutional-law), [Regulation](https://www.cato.org/regulatory-studies), [Tax and Budget Policy](https://www.cato.org/tax-budget-policy), [Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies](https://www.cato.org/robert-levy-center-constitutional-studies) 

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