Why Medical Aid in Dying and Assisted Suicide Are Not the Same Thing
Today, Jill unpacks what medical aid in dying really means, how it differs from assisted suicide, and what the law says for families navigating these difficult conversations. With legal insights and examples from California’s End of Life Option Act, this Tuesday Triage episode shines a light on a topic often tucked away in silence.
Medical aid in dying is a regulated medical practice that allows a mentally competent adult with a terminal diagnosis of six months or less to request a prescription to peacefully end their life. Eleven states (California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington) and Washington, D.C. currently permit medical aid in dying, while 18 others have pending or recently introduced legislation.
Jill uses California’s End of Life Option Act as a case study to explain how the process works in practice.
Eligibility: Adults 18+, California residents, with terminal illnesses expected to result in death within six months.
Requests: Two oral requests at least 48 hours apart, plus a written request signed in the presence of two witnesses.
Safeguards: Physicians must confirm the patient’s capacity and voluntariness, and participation by doctors is voluntary.
Self-administration: Only the patient can administer the medication; family or physicians may help prepare it but cannot administer it.
Residency proof: California requirements include a state ID, voter registration, property ownership, or tax returns.
Protections for families and insurance. Medical aid in dying does not affect life insurance, health insurance, or annuities. Death through medical aid in dying is legally recognized as a natural result of the underlying disease, not suicide. Family and friends cannot be held civilly or criminally liable for being present, as long as the patient self-administers the medication.
The importance of terminology. Section 443.18 of the California law explicitly rejects labels like “assisted suicide” or “euthanasia.” This distinction matters because medical aid in dying is not about choosing whether to die, but about how to face a death that is already imminent.
Listen to the episode here:
