Illinois becomes first Midwestern state to authorize medical aid in dying After years of hard work, passion, and the tireless dedication of terminally ill advocates, the Illinois End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act (also known as “Deb’s Law”) took effect Saturday, making the state the first in the Midwest to authorize the option of…
The lawsuit, Payne v. Pritzker, aims to prevent the new medical aid in dying law from taking effect, but a judge denied the request for a temporary injunction In a hearing Friday, federal Judge Tharp denied a request for a temporary injunction against the Illinois End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act. The lawsuit, Payne…
The lawsuit, Payne v. Pritzker, aims to prevent the law from taking effect and these four residents seek to defend their right to end-of-life care Compassion Legal: The End-of-Life Justice Center at Compassion & Choices, along with pro bono partners at WilmerHale, led by Ryan Chabot, filed a motion to intervene and asked the court…
The New York Times profiled Quiĕtus, a New York City-based care coordination service built specifically around the state’s new Medical Aid in Dying Act, and one of its founders, Dr. Tara Shapiro. Quiĕtus launched the same day the law took effect on August 5, 2026, and offers terminally ill patients home visits, telehealth support, and help…
Lawsuits filed in New York and Illinois claim that religiously affiliated healthcare facilities and providers are being forced to participate in medical aid in dying. Plaintiffs have asked that medical aid-in-dying laws in New York and Illinois be declared unconstitutional. Let’s be clear: both laws protect healthcare workers’ right to follow their own conscience. No…
By Kevin Díaz, President and CEO When former emergency department nurse Tara Lee started working in hospice care, she quickly bonded with one of her first patients and his wife, Jean. After he died, Tara and Jean stayed close — Tara called Jean her “adopted Southern grandma” — and for the next six years, Tara took…
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