ALBANY, New York (WWNY) – New York is set to become the latest state to legalize medically assisted suicide for the terminally ill.
Governor Hochul announced an agreement on the Medical Aid in Dying Act on Wednesday, allowing patients with terminal illnesses to be prescribed life-ending medication in New York state.
Some are against it.
“Where this is legal, we see people using this for financial reasons for treatable conditions like diabetes, for mental health conditions like anorexia. Every day, new abuses are revealed, and it really is a failure of our government to push this forward,” said Jessica Rodgers, Patients Rights Action Fund.
Critics of the bill fear it opens the door for people with disabilities in New York to be taken advantage of.
But supporters say it gives people the right to bodily autonomy, ending what they consider unnecessary suffering.
Advocate Nancy Murphy says her sister opted for medically assisted suicide in Vermont 10 years ago, and her family supported her choice.
“She got to the point where her quality of life was basically zero. She was lying in a hospital bed in her living room, unable to move. From my understanding, the majority of people who have used medical aid in dying in the 25 years that there has been a law in the United States, in one state or another, most of the people who use it have situations more like my sister,” said Murphy.
Included in the bill are a number of guardrails, including a 5-day waiting period, a recorded oral request by the patient, and a mandatory mental health evaluation, among others.
The regulations also specify that anyone who may benefit from the death of the patient cannot serve as a witness for the oral request.
Critics of the policy continue to maintain that the regulations aren’t enough.
The bill is set to be signed by the governor in January.
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