56 Unit 1 Foundations of Medical Law and Ethics Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Likewise, it is the state court system that is involved in the vast major- ity of lawsuits involving malpractice, battery, assault, wrongful death, and other claims against practitioners. County health departments make a direct and valuable contribution to the health of the community. Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act is an example of the state gov- ernment’s role in healthcare. This law allows terminally ill residents of the state to end their lives through the voluntary self-administration of lethal medications. These medications are openly prescribed by a doctor for the purpose of ending one’s life. The act requires that the Oregon Health Authority collect information about the patients and physicians who participate and publish an annual statistical report. Other examples of the state governments’ roles in healthcare include licensing and regulation of clinicians overseeing and engaging in public health activities (health surveillance, sanitation, disease control) financ- ing and delivering individual health services, including Medicaid and mental health programs and direct healthcare delivery through county and other public hospitals and health departments. StockLite/Shutterstock.com Figure 3.9 Healthcare exchanges in your state may help you pay for medical treatment that you need.