More than 100 million Americans can now receive medical aid in dying (MAID) if they are terminally ill. Rather than continue to suffer, they can end their lives; they are entitled to fill a prescription that will kill them, reports Paula Span for KaiserHealth News.
Many Americans with cancer and other serious conditions find that aggressive treatments ruin their quality of life, give them brain fog, deplete their energy, and come with stomach and joint pain.
New York’s law allowing medical aid in dying takes effect on August 5 of this year. Illinois just passed a similar law that takes effect in September. Eleven other states and the District of Columbia already have laws on the books. Oregon enacted the first such state law three decades ago, in 1977.
Washington enacted a medical aid in dying law 18 years ago and California did the same in 2016. It has taken quite some time for other states to follow suit. According to a recent Pew Research Center poll, two in three Americans accept medical aid in dying and do not believe it is morally wrong.
More than half of Republicans and more than three in four Democrats are not opposed to medical aid in dying. A majority of Catholics, Jews and nonevangelical white Protestants also support medical aid in dying.
Catholic leadership continues to oppose physician-assisted death, as do disability groups and the American Medical Association. Disability groups believe that medical aid in dying laws discriminate against people with disabilities, prioritizing death over treatment.
The state laws are narrowly written to cover only people who have less than six months to live. Two doctors must certify that an individual is terminally ill, and there is usually a waiting period. Individuals must be of sound mind to make the request, preventing people with dementia from qualifying. The health care provider can impose additional requirements.
If you do not live in one of the states that allows medical aid in dying, you can receive the assistance in Oregon and Vermont even if you are not a resident of those states. Other states permitting medical aid in dying do not allow non-residents to receive assistance.
Only about one percent of Americans eligible for medical aid in dying actually elect the aid. But, even knowing that the option is available can deliver peace of mind to terminally ill Americans.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- What’s a living funeral?
- Six tips for choosing a funeral home and funeral services
- Electing hospice improves end-of-life care and saves Medicare money
- Five steps to get your affairs in order in case of emergency
- Plan ahead for a hospital visit: Talk to the people you love about these seven important items
