Washington state ends living will registry

OLYMPIA — The Washington Health Department is no longer accepting information in its living will registry.

Nearly 2,500 people took part in the program that started nearly four years ago. It’s a database where people could store living wills, durable powers of attorney for health care and end-of-life orders for doctors. Nearly 200 health care facilities signed up for access to the registry.

The program ended because it ran out of money. Spokesman Gordon MacCracken says axing the registry saves the state $104,000 in the current two-year budget.

People who registered by June 20 will maintain a free lifetime registration with the U.S. Living Will Registry, a private corporation.