ABA Family Legal Guide

Health-Care Law

Patients' Rights

Informed Consent

Can I choose to refuse treatment?

After being informed of your diagnosis, as well as the treatment options and the risks involved, you can choose not to undergo treatment. You can refuse any treatment, including life-sustaining treatment, as long as you are an adult, unless perhaps you are mentally incompetent under state laws and have lost your ability to make informed decisions. Although you have the right to refuse treatment, the public health department has the right to isolate you if you have a contagious disease and are a danger to others.