Don't European countries have single-payer?
Belgium legalized euthanasia in 2002 for those in "constant and unbearable physical or mental suffering that cannot be alleviated."
Minors were included in the original proposals but were left out of the final legislation for political reasons.
Now, the country's lawmakers are debating a bill which would extend the "right to die" to those under the age of 18 who are terminally ill and in intolerable physical pain.
The bill cleared a senate committee vote on Wednesday; it must clear several other hurdles before becoming law.
Under the current rules, the patient must be able to make a repeated request for euthanasia themselves while experiencing unbearable suffering of which there is no prospect for improvement.
The current debate is less about whether or not to extend the legislation and more about what conditions to apply to the law: from what age euthanasia should be available and whether that should be with or without parental consent.
Experiences in the Netherlands, where patients older than 12 are allowed to request euthanasia with their parents' consent, would seem to support this: Only five children have chosen to die by euthanasia since the law was introduced in 2002.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/27/world/europe/belgium-euthanasia-for-children-debate/