Michoacán deputy proposes criminalizing withholding of bodies for medical debt

Memo Valencia, a local deputy for the PRI in Michoacán, has proposed a legislative initiative to criminalize the practice of private hospitals and clinics withholding the bodies of deceased persons to demand payment for medical debts.

The proposal seeks to amend articles 186 and 218 of the Michoacán State Penal Code. Under the initiative, it would be a crime to condition, delay, or obstruct the delivery of a deceased person's remains to their legal relatives based on the requirement of total or partial payment of bills, promissory notes, or debt recognition agreements.

Additionally, the amendment aims to penalize medical facilities that include charges for supplies, medications, or services that were not actually administered, or those that apply disproportionate charges for non-existent services. Valencia stated the initiative was prompted by a specific case in Morelia where a family was denied a body until a 300,000 peso debt was settled.