Literature Review

New paths could allow medical aid in dying for people with dementia McKnight's Long-Term Care News, by Kristen Fischer; 2/7/24A lot of people who have dementia want to use medical aid in dying (MAID) to end their lives before they lose their decision-making capacity and other abilities. This hasn’t been allowed up until now but that could soon change, which could have implications for physicians, according to a new report. 

Las Vegas conference examines the impact of 'right to die' lawsMountain West News Bureau, by Yvette Fernandez; 2/5/24A University of Nevada Las Vegas conference [discussed] "lessons learned" from U.S. states and other countries that allow medical aid in dying. Dr. David Orentlicher is head of the UNLV Health Law Program, which held the conference on Feb. 1 and 2. He said so-called "right to die" laws in the United States have very strict requirements. ... Only 10 states and the District of Columbia allow for medical aid in dying. ... As a Nevada legislator, Orentlicher was one of the co-sponsors of the “Death with Dignity” bill, SB 239, ... said the option of having a physician present could improve state laws.

Bill that would legalize medically assisted suicide debated at Minnesota CapitolCBS News, by Jonah Kaplan; 1/25/24ST. PAUL, Minn. — A bill that would legalize assisted suicide in Minnesota may have the momentum to pass this upcoming session. The bill was heard and debated on Thursday by the health committee, and it would make the assisted suicide option available only for patients 18 and over who are terminally ill with a prognosis of six months to live or less. The patient must also be mentally fit.

A journalist assisted a woman’s quest for suicide. Did he get too involved?The Washington Post, by Jeremy Barr; 2/3/24The Boston Globe acknowledged that writer Kevin Cullen crossed an ethical line by signing a legal form for Lynda Bluestein. But the woman’s husband is grateful for what he did. Kevin Cullen, a veteran columnist for the Boston Globe, spent months shadowing a terminally ill Connecticut woman as she campaigned for permission to have an assisted suicide and ultimately died that way several weeks ago. ... But Cullen did more than just chronicle [her] journey. He also got involved in her story by signing a legal form attesting that she was sound of mind when she requested to die in Vermont, which granted her the right to do so.

Poynter’s Tom Jones renders a nuanced verdict on Kevin Cullen’s ethical lapseMedia Nation, by Dan Kennedy; 1/31/24Poynter media columnist Tom Jones has weighed in with a lengthy commentary about Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen’s decision to sign a legally required form that a terminally ill woman needed in order to proceed with her physician-assisted suicide — a story that he was reporting on, and that was published by the Globe last Friday.

Docs see smaller checks as Congress weighs options on Medicare cutModern Healthcare, by Michael Mcauliff; 1/30/24If anyone were to ask members of Congress if doctors should be contending with Medicare pay cuts after a pandemic and a period of extraordinary inflation, and amid a chronic physician shortage, nearly all would say no.Subscription required for full access

NJ Governor signs Medicaid palliative care bill into lawC+TAC press release; 1/23/24New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed AB 5225 into law on December 21, 2023, requiring the development of a palliative care services benefit aimed to improve the quality of life for Medicaid beneficiaries with serious illness and their caregivers. 

Guiding Values for Health Policy in Divided TimesJAMA Network, by Sandro Galea, MD, DrPh; 1/25/24What values should guide health policy during divided times?

NY Catholics asked to oppose physician-assisted suicideCatholic Courier, by Jennifer Burke; 1/22/24New York’s Catholics are again being asked to express their opposition to physician-assisted suicide. The state’s lawmakers are once again considering legislation that would allow doctors to prescribe doses of lethal medications to terminally ill patients. 

New York State Bar Association endorses medical aid in dying billBrooklyn Daily Eagle, by Robert Abruzzese; 1/24/24The New York State Bar Association's House of Delegates, the association's governing body, has officially endorsed the Medical Aid in Dying bill, the group announced Monday. ... "The Task Force on Medical Aid in Dying has worked tirelessly on this issues and produced recommendations that safeguard our most vulnerable populations," said NYSBA President Richard Lewis. "Support for medical aid in dying offers both dignity and compassion for those grappling with what can be a very difficult time in their lives."

Policy experts on cost, accessibility, other details in Assembly GOP medical marijuana planWisconsin Examiner, by Baylor Spears; 1/22/24The proposal by [Wisconsin] Assembly Republicans would create the Office of Medical Cannabis Regulation in the Department of Health Services. The office which would maintain a registry of patients and caregivers who could purchase medical cannabis products from one of five state-run dispensaries. Access would be limited to patients with certain medical conditions, and available products would include oils, edibles and pills but exclude anything smokeable.

New bill would give California parents more control over whether state can store their kid's DNACBS News / TV, by Julie Watts; 1/17/24Should you have the right to know that the state is storing your child's DNA and that researchers or law enforcement may use it without your consent? ... A 2018 statewide CBS News poll found that the majority of new parents did know about the lifesaving test. Three quarters (of new parents) had no idea the state was storing their baby's leftover bloodspots after the required test genetic test was complete.