Image Courtesy of Pan American Health Organization

In February of this year, Illinois legislature proposed a Bill that creates The End-Of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act, which would give terminally ill Illinois residents the option to take a pill that would end their lives if they are at least 18 years old, have a prognosis of six months or less to live, and request the medication themselves. The bill has six democratic sponsors in the Senate. As of right now, the bill is in the assignments committee, waiting to be assigned to a committee to have a full hearing. 

Two doctors must find the patient to be “mentally capable” in making the decision to take the medication that will end their life. If either doctor has any questions about the patient’s mental capabilities of making this choice, they then have to request a mental health care professional to evaluate the case.

This process that Congress members have referred to as “Medical Aid in Dying,” otherwise known as MAID, exists in 10 states and the District of Columbia, which is an estimated 74 million people. Another 87 million reside in 14 states where MAID is on the legislative agenda, including Illinois.

Terminally ill Illinoisans should have access to the full range of end-of-life care options, including MAID. This compassionate option provides peace of mind to people in their final days, knowing that they can experience a peaceful death. 

The End Of Life Options Act should be passed and will immensely ease the suffering of terminally ill Illinoisains and their loved ones. 

The bill explicitly lays out that the power is in the patient’s hands; The End-Of-life Options Act merely serves as a resource for terminally ill patients. 

“Not everybody that gets the medicine actually takes it, but what it does do is it gives people a peace of mind. If they feel the need to take the medicine they can,” said Leader Robyn Gabel, The Majority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives. 

A survey done by an end-of-life resources advocacy group, Compassion and Choices, found that nearly 40% of more than 400 Illinois physicians would like professional medical associations to express a neutrality to end-of-life resources and solely serve as an educational resource. 

Many Terminally ill patients would like to know that they have options. Some are not eager to die by any means, but rather, they would like to know that there is a way out if their suffering becomes too unbearable. 

Yet, some have ethical concerns.

“It is hard because I get people in pain, but it also is someone’s life that you are putting in your hand,” said AP government teacher Cheryl Kyrias. 

For the physician’s sake, prescribing the pill can seem daunting, yet that is exactly why “doctors don’t have to prescribe it if they don’t want to,” said Leader Robyn Gabel.

Other oppositionists also question the moral of the bill. 

“Opposition to the bill has mainly come from the Catholic Church due to church doctrine. Some members of the disability community also are opposed. They view it as a slippery slope,” said Leader Robyn Gabel. “Although there are stringent guidelines in the Bill to prevent abuse and after years of implementation in other states there are no examples of abuse, some in the disability community continue to be concerned.”

In other states, this bill has had immense success. The Oregon Death with Dignity Act has not only added MAID, but also dramatically improved pain management, hospice care, and support services for family members. 

In Oregon, 431 people were reported to have received prescriptions under the DWDA.

As of January 20, 2023, 278 people had died in 2022 from ingesting the prescribed medications, including 32 who had received prescriptions in previous years.

Patients can take this medication whenever they need to and can always choose not to take it. 

Most patients who took the medication were 65 years or older (85%) and white (96%). The most common diagnosis in patients who took the pill were cancer (64%), followed by heart disease (12%) and neurological disease (10%). 

Even though increasing the scope of end-of-life care options, this Bill may have a difficult time passing. 

“I don’t think this bill will pass because each party has such a slim majority, so I don’t think they could get their whole party to agree,” Kyrias said. 

Yet, this bill passing will help ease the emotional and physical suffering of terminally ill patients in Illinois. 

This Bill must pass for the sake of all Illinoisians.