03/06/2024
Heres a topic near and dear to me- Medical Aid-in-Dying. While it is an option here in California for those terminally ill, many people still don't know much about this choice and don't take advantage of it even if they feel that it would benefit them.
“She wanted more people to have that choice. Currently there are 10 states that have legal medical aid in dying, plus the District of Columbia. She felt she was lucky, by circumstance and happenstance, to live in New Jersey, which is one of them. She felt she was lucky to have certain privileges. They had the income to pay the $900 that it cost to buy the end of life medications, which are often generally not covered by either public or private insurance plans. She was a lawyer. She had been involved in social justice issues her whole life. She was involved with the fight for marriage equality in new Jersey and nationally. These matters of of parity and access mattered so much to Julie.
DG: In your reporting, Steven, what have you learned about who actually is using these laws, getting medical assistance to speed up death?
SP: It’s generally white people. I think it’s 92% of the individuals who die from medical aid in dying are white. It’s highly skewed towards college educated, highly skewed towards individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer, and then there’s an economic skew as well. That has a lot to do with both access, economic circumstances, cultural issues around death and dying. That feels like there’s a differential there that results in unnecessary suffering and pain.”
A handful of states allow terminally ill patients to take life-ending medications. We talk with journalist Steven Petrow about his sister’s choice to use this option.
