Hi backhere -

It probably depends on the terms of the contract. What does the contract say about termination? If it says that the doctor can terminate the contract without warning if he or she feels the patient has violated it, then the doctor is within their contractual rights to do that.

The question then would be whether the contract itself is illegal - would it endanger patients and be considered void in a court? That is going to delend on state law wherever you are located. There is a branch of malpractice liability known as "abandonment" where a doctor may be liable for malpractice when the patient has been abandoned at a crucial point in their treatment without sufficient notice or sufficient opportunity to secure alternate treatment. You would need to consult an attorney in your juridiction to determine whether the type of termination of treatment allowed under the contract, would be considered medical abandonment. I have not doen enough research to tell you if this type of contract has been held to be void, though these narcotic contracts are common.

I will be doing some more research on this issue and hope to get an article up about it soon - but in the meantime, I suggest you consult an attorney. Your local or state bar association should be able to point you in the direction of attorneys who specialize in malpractice, who could perhaps do a low-cost consultation with you to help you determine your rights.

Good luck to you!

- Megan