Literature Review
All posts tagged with “Public Policy News.”
Poynter’s Tom Jones renders a nuanced verdict on Kevin Cullen’s ethical lapse
02/02/24 at 04:00 AMPoynter’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.
The aid-in-dying question
02/02/24 at 03:00 AMThe aid-in-dying questionThe Washington Post, by Matt Valliere; 1/31/24... As medical aid in dying is becoming legal in more states in this country, the terms “euthanasia” and “assisted suicide” are inaccurate, each in its own way. Where medical aid in dying, or MAID, is legal in the United States, the medication must be self-administered, whereas euthanasia involves a physician or other person being the agent of death. The term “suicide” and, hence, assisted suicide, should refer to a situation where the individual is not facing a terminal prognosis. Aid in dying is what it says: It is helping someone who is already dying and has no hope of recovery.
Docs see smaller checks as Congress weighs options on Medicare cut
02/01/24 at 04:00 AMDocs 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
Medical aid in dying waiting period would shorten from 15 days to 48 hours under Colorado bill
01/31/24 at 04:00 AMMedical aid in dying waiting period would shorten from 15 days to 48 hours under Colorado billThe Denver Post, by Meg Wingerter; 1/28/24A bill (SB 24-068) in the Colorado legislature would shorten the mandatory waiting period for medical aid in dying from more than two weeks to two days, opening the option to more critically ill people, but raising concerns for some about rushed decisions. It would also allow people who aren’t Colorado residents to end their lives under the state’s law, and let advanced practice registered nurses prescribe the drug cocktail.Publisher's note: The Denver Post is the source article. If you run into a paywall, the Greeley Tribune is running the same story without a paywall. A similar story is running in the Colorado Sun without a paywall.
NJ Governor signs Medicaid palliative care bill into law
01/31/24 at 04:00 AMNJ 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.
As Maryland considers medical aid in dying, here’s how it’s playing out in DC
01/30/24 at 04:00 AMAs Maryland considers medical aid in dying, here’s how it’s playing out in DCCapital News Service, by Sapna Bansil; 1/29/24A 74-year-old man with Lou Gehrig’s disease. An 88-year-old man with congestive heart failure. A 54-year-old woman with cancer. ... In Maryland, aid-in-dying proposals in past years have faced pushback from a number of opponents. ... But advocates say there’s unprecedented momentum this year for an aid-in-dying law in Maryland – in part because arguments for the option have been strengthened by its implementation in D.C. and 10 other states.
Guiding Values for Health Policy in Divided Times
01/29/24 at 04:00 AMGuiding Values for Health Policy in Divided TimesJAMA Network, by Sandro Galea, MD, DrPh; 1/25/24What values should guide health policy during divided times?
Minnesota lawmakers kick off debate on joining other states that permit physician-assisted suicide
01/29/24 at 04:00 AMMinnesota lawmakers kick off debate on joining other states that permit physician-assisted suicideThe Associated Press, by Steve Karnowski; 1/25/24The Minnesota Legislature kicked off debate Thursday on whether the state should join the list of those that allow physician-assisted suicide.
NY Catholics asked to oppose physician-assisted suicide
01/26/24 at 04:00 AMNY 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.
Death with dignity bill introduced in Virginia with message from ailing congresswoman
01/26/24 at 04:00 AMDeath with dignity bill introduced in Virginia with message from ailing congresswomanRadio IQ, by Brad Kutner; 1/23/24Eleven states across the country have dignity in dying laws which allow those facing the end of their lives to take control over their time and manner of their death. It’s a controversial movement but one a Virginia Congresswoman is personally connected to.
New York State Bar Association endorses medical aid in dying bill
01/25/24 at 03:55 AMNew 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."
Virginia legislators seek to become 12th jurisdiction to legalize medical aid in dying
01/24/24 at 04:00 AMVirginia legislators seek to become 12th jurisdiction to legalize medical aid in dying Courthouse News Service, by Joe Dodson; 1/22/24Virginia state Senator Jennifer Boysko held back tears and read a letter written by her friend U.S. Representative Jennifer Wexton, who suffers from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), in support of medically assisted death.
Policy experts on cost, accessibility, other details in Assembly GOP medical marijuana plan
01/24/24 at 04:00 AMPolicy 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.
Proposed federal law would put limits on use of $50 billion in opioid settlements
01/23/24 at 04:00 AMFederal lawmakers take first steps toward oversight of $50 billion in opioid settlements
New bill would give California parents more control over whether state can store their kid's DNA
01/22/24 at 04:00 AMNew 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.
Public policy: Potential bills from multiple states
01/10/24 at 04:00 AMPublic policy: Potential bills from multiple states
Well-being of older adults, workforce prioritized in executive order
01/09/24 at 04:00 AMWell-being of older adults, workforce prioritized in executive orderMcKnights Senior Living, by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 1/8/24The well-being of older adults and members of the direct care workforce has become a top priority in Maryland with the recent signing of an executive order meant to address challenges related to the state’s aging population. Senior living industry representatives say the effort has “tremendous” potential for operators in the state.
Terminally ill Connecticut woman ends her life on her own terms, in Vermont
01/08/24 at 04:00 AMTerminally ill Connecticut woman ends her life on her own terms, in VermontAP US News, by Lisa Rathke; 1/4/24A Connecticut woman who pushed for expanded access to Vermont’s law that allows people who are terminally ill to receive lethal medication to end their lives died in Vermont on Thursday.
California becomes first state to offer health insurance to all undocumented immigrants
01/05/24 at 04:00 AMCalifornia becomes first state to offer health insurance to all undocumented immigrantsABC News, by Mary Kekatos; 1/2/24California will welcome the new year by becoming the first state to offer health insurance for all undocumented immigrants. Starting Jan. 1, all undocumented immigrants, regardless of age, will qualify for Medi-Cal, California's version of the federal Medicaid program for people with low incomes.Editor's note: Hospice implications...?
Push for end-of-life bill will continue in 2024
01/01/24 at 03:00 AMPush for end-of-life bill will continue in 2024
New bill introduces end-of-life option for terminally ill Hoosiers
01/01/24 at 03:00 AMNew bill introduces end-of-life option for terminally ill Hoosiers
More than 200 terminally ill Vermonters qualified for the state’s aid-in-dying law in its first decade
12/31/23 at 04:00 AMMore than 200 terminally ill Vermonters qualified for the state’s aid-in-dying law in its first decadeVT Digger, 12/28/23Over 200 terminally ill patients have sought and qualified to receive life-ending drugs since Vermont first legalized medical-aid-in-dying more than a decade ago, according to a recent report from the Vermont Department of Health. Vermont first legalized the practice—sometimes referred to as “death with dignity” by supporters or “assisted suicide” by opponents—in May 2013. From then until the end of June 2023, 203 Vermonters sought and qualified for the medication, according to the report. Not all of those who had access to the drugs obtained or used them, according to the Department of Health. Some died from the underlying disease. ... A vast majority of those who utilized the program had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, according to the report.
I Promised My Sister I Would Write About How She Chose to Die
12/30/23 at 03:11 AMI Promised My Sister I Would Write About How She Chose to DieBy Steven Petrow, Guest ColumnistNew York TimesDecember 28, 2023On the day before my sister Julie died, I lay down on her bed and held her gingerly in my arms, afraid that any pressure would hurt her. She had lost so much weight that she looked like a stick figure I might have drawn when we were kids.
Death by Doctor May Soon Be Available for the Mentally Ill in Canada
12/29/23 at 03:50 AMDeath by Doctor May Soon Be Available for the Mentally Ill in CanadaNew York TimesDecember 27, 2023Canada already has one of the most liberal assisted death laws in the world, offering the practice to terminally and chronically ill Canadians. But under a law scheduled to take effect in March assisted dying would also become accessible to people whose only medical condition is mental illness, making Canada one of about half a dozen countries to permit the procedure for that category of people. That move has divided Canadians, some of whom view it as a sign that the country’s public health care system is not offering adequate psychiatric care, which is notoriously underfunded and in high demand.
State bill would allow doctor-assisted suicide in some cases
12/27/23 at 03:23 AMState bill would allow doctor-assisted suicide in some casesKeene (NH) SentinelDecember 25, 2023A bill pending in the N.H. Legislature would allow doctors to prescribe medication some terminal patients could take to end their lives. Under House Bill 1283, which has bipartisan support, New Hampshire would join 11 other states that permit medical assistance in dying. Lawmakers will consider it in the legislative session that begins early next month.