Latest news with #physicianassistedsuicide
Forbes
23-06-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Physician-Assisted Suicide Is A Bigger Problem Than We Realize
"We may seem a long way from legalizing physician-assisted suicide in the United States," writes ... More health policy expert Sally Pipes. "But it wasn't very long ago that such a thing seemed unthinkable in Canada, too." Dovie Eisner was born with a rare genetic condition called nemaline myopathy. He requires a wheelchair and has a host of other health problems. Last year at one point, he stopped breathing, passed out on the street, and was taken to the emergency room. 'I was alive—thanks to the determination of law enforcers and local medical personnel to keep me that way,' Eisner wrote recently in UnHerd. But, he warns, a law being considered in his home state of New York 'threatens to undo this presumption in favour of lifesaving' that motivated first responders to keep him alive. The bill, called the Medical Aid in Dying Act, would allow mentally competent adults with six months or less to live 'to obtain a prescription that would put them to sleep and peacefully end their lives.' New York is not alone. Seventeen states—including Florida, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania—are considering so-called 'death with dignity' laws. Eleven states and the District of Columbia already have them on the books. Advocates say these laws spare the terminally ill from unnecessary suffering. But a closer look at Europe and Canada—where physician-assisted suicide has been legal and common for years—paints a darker picture. Far from providing peace to terminal patients, these laws are often used by government-run healthcare systems to nudge sick patients toward ending their lives. The United States may not have a completely socialized system of medicine yet. But the government covers nearly half of all healthcare expenditures in this country. Over the past 40 years, its share of the nation's health bill has been growing, slowly but surely. At some point, it may have a financial incentive in hastening people toward their demise. Around 8,700 Americans have died by assisted suicide since 1997, when Oregon became the first state to legalize the practice. That's around 300 people annually. For comparison, some 3 million Americans die every year. In other countries, assisted suicide is a much more common cause of death. In the Netherlands—the first country to legalize the process, in 2002—more than 5% of annual deaths are due to medically-assisted suicide. In Canada, more than 15,000 people died by physician-assisted suicide in 2023—4.7% of total deaths. Canada only legalized physician-assisted suicide in 2016. Until last year, the rate of assisted suicide north of the border rose around 31% annually. The majority of Canadians choosing 'medical assistance in dying' are between 65 and 80. But the number of Canadians aged 18 to 45 opting to end their lives by MAiD has been increasing each year. There were just 34 in 2017—but 139 in 2021. Those numbers are likely to grow as Canada continues to expand the pools of people eligible for physician-assisted suicide. The government has already expanded the law to include those who are not terminally ill but living in circumstances they themselves deem 'intolerable.' Now, the United Kingdom is considering similar legislation. Last week, the House of Commons greenlit a bill that would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to take their own lives with a physician's help. The legislation is moving on to the House of Lords. Proponents of these policies may characterize them as compassionate. But it's impossible to ignore the Canadian government's financial interest in having one less person who needs government-funded health care. The Canadian government certainly acts on that interest in other ways—most notably by denying access to cutting-edge prescription drugs. Just 45% of new drugs launched worldwide between 2012 and 2021 were available in Canada as of October 2022. Eighty-five percent were available in the United States. The Canadian government's calculus could apply on this side of the border. The federal government already pays for Medicare coverage for 68 million people. That number will grow as the population ages. And Medicare has shown that it will restrict access to some forms of care, through its Coverage with Evidence Development framework. Some 22 devices, services, and therapies are subject to these restrictions, as of 2023. Medicare defends those restrictions by saying it needs more evidence of clinical benefit. But some of those restrictions have been in place for a decade or more. A skeptic might reasonably wonder whether Medicare is holding back because of unspoken concerns about cost. There's no doubt that medical assistance in dying will be effective—if the goal is to save the government money caring for the elderly. We may seem a long way from legalizing physician-assisted suicide in the United States. But it wasn't very long ago that such a thing seemed unthinkable in Canada, too. Let's hope lawmakers stateside change course before it's too late.
Wall Street Journal
01-06-2025
- General
- Wall Street Journal
A Day's Drive Can Save Lives
Cardinal Dolan worries about New York as it dives deeper into the culture of death with legislation to legalize physician-assisted suicide ('Prevent, Don't Assist, Suicide,' op-ed, May 30). West Virginia a few months ago, by popular vote no less, became the first state to ban medically aided suicide in its Constitution. The sanctity of human life now hinges on the zip codes in which we live. What a difference a day's drive makes. Mark A. Sadd
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Delaware's assisted suicide bill signed into law, making it the 11th state with such a statute
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, a Democrat, signed a bill Tuesday legalizing physician-assisted suicide for certain terminally ill patients, arguing that the measure is about "compassion, dignity, and respect for personal choice." The End-of-Life Options Act, which takes effect next year, allows mentally capable adults who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given six months or less to live to request a prescription to self-administer and end their lives. "We're acknowledging today that even in the last moments of life, compassion matters," Meyer said at the bill signing. "Every Delawarean should have the right to face their final chapter with peace, dignity and control." New York Assembly Passes Bill To Legalize Assisted Suicide For The Terminally Ill "This signing today is about relieving suffering and giving families the comfort of knowing that their loved one was able to pass on their own terms, without unnecessary pain, and surrounded by the people they love most," he continued. Delaware is now the 11th state to allow medical aid in dying, joining California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Washington, D.C., also permits physician-assisted suicide. Read On The Fox News App "Today, Delaware joins a growing number of states in recognizing that end-of-life decisions belong to patients—not politicians," Meyer said. "This law is about compassion, dignity, and respect. It gives people facing unimaginable suffering the ability to choose peace and comfort, surrounded by those they love. After years of debate, I am proud to sign HB 140 into law." Several other countries, including Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, have also legalized so-called death with dignity. The Delaware Legislature narrowly rejected the measure last year, but Meyer pushed for it this session and it passed last month. The governor's signature now ends nearly a decade of debate on the issue. Under the new law, sponsored by Democrat state Rep. Eric Morrison, patients considering assisted suicide in the state must be presented with other options for end-of-life care, including comfort care, palliative care, hospice and pain control. The bill requires two waiting periods and a second medical opinion on a patient's prognoses before they can obtain a prescription for lethal medication. Minnesota Lawmakers Propose Controversial Medically-assisted Suicide Bill State Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, a Democrat, said the law "is about honoring the autonomy and humanity of those facing unimaginable suffering from terminal illness." "This legislation exists due to the courage of patients, family members, and advocates who have shared deeply personal stories of love, loss and suffering," he said in a article source: Delaware's assisted suicide bill signed into law, making it the 11th state with such a statute
Fox News
21-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Delaware's assisted suicide bill signed into law, making it the 11th state with such a statute
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, a Democrat, signed a bill Tuesday legalizing physician-assisted suicide for certain terminally ill patients, arguing that the measure is about "compassion, dignity, and respect for personal choice." The End-of-Life Options Act, which takes effect next year, allows mentally capable adults who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given six months or less to live to request a prescription to self-administer and end their lives. "We're acknowledging today that even in the last moments of life, compassion matters," Meyer said at the bill signing. "Every Delawarean should have the right to face their final chapter with peace, dignity and control." "This signing today is about relieving suffering and giving families the comfort of knowing that their loved one was able to pass on their own terms, without unnecessary pain, and surrounded by the people they love most," he continued. Delaware is now the 11th state to allow medical aid in dying, joining California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Washington, D.C., also permits physician-assisted suicide. "Today, Delaware joins a growing number of states in recognizing that end-of-life decisions belong to patients—not politicians," Meyer said. "This law is about compassion, dignity, and respect. It gives people facing unimaginable suffering the ability to choose peace and comfort, surrounded by those they love. After years of debate, I am proud to sign HB 140 into law." Several other countries, including Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, have also legalized so-called death with dignity. The Delaware Legislature narrowly rejected the measure last year, but Meyer pushed for it this session and it passed last month. The governor's signature now ends nearly a decade of debate on the issue. Under the new law, sponsored by Democrat state Rep. Eric Morrison, patients considering assisted suicide in the state must be presented with other options for end-of-life care, including comfort care, palliative care, hospice and pain control. The bill requires two waiting periods and a second medical opinion on a patient's prognoses before they can obtain a prescription for lethal medication. State Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, a Democrat, said the law "is about honoring the autonomy and humanity of those facing unimaginable suffering from terminal illness." "This legislation exists due to the courage of patients, family members, and advocates who have shared deeply personal stories of love, loss and suffering," he said in a statement.
