More terminally ill Hispanics in California bridged health equity gaps by accessing the End of Life Option Act, a hike that nearly doubled the use of medical aid in dying among this community.
A new report from the California Department of Health on the End of Life Option Act shows 79% more Hispanics — 43 Hispanic Californians — used the state’s medical aid in dying law in 2023, compared to the 24 Hispanic Californians (less than 3%) who used the law in 2022.
Advocates attribute this increase to the ongoing statewide, public education bilingual campaign with medical partners, supporters like the legendary Civil Rights Activist Dolores Huerta and online tools in English and Spanish that provide valuable materials and practical information to educate terminally ill Californians and medical providers about the benefits and requirements of the medical aid-in-dying law.
One of those advocates includes José Alejandro Lemuz, a 60-year-old body shop mechanic from Wilmington, CA suffering from terminal prostate cancer. The native Honduran partnered with Compassion & Choices to record a video in Spanish to help build public awareness about this option among fellow Latinos. To view the video CLICK HERE.
“Don José’s heroic advocacy is likely a significant factor in the increased use of the End of Life Option Act among Latinos. As the first terminally-ill Latino in the United States to publicly announce his plan to use medical aid in dying, he set a powerful example,” said Kim Callinan, President/CEO of Compassion & Choices. “His courage has empowered other dying Latinos in California to understand that they too can have the option to die peacefully.”
The new report by the California Department of Health shows 1,281 terminally ill Californians obtained prescriptions for medical aid in dying and 884 patients (69%) took the medication in 2023. A total of 337 unique physicians prescribed the medication to patients who requested it. The majority of the deaths were caused by: cancer: 63.8%, cardiovascular: 12.1%, neurological disease: 8.8 %, respiratory diseases 8% and other causes 7.2%. The report states that the majority of the terminally ill Californians “were receiving hospice and/or palliative care”.
The report shows one American Indian/Alaska Native Californians (0.1%), eight Black Californians (0.9%), and 63 Asian Californians (7.9%) utilized the law in 2023, even though these communities collectively represent a higher percentage of the state’s population (American Indian/Alaska Native: 1.7%, Black Californians: 6.5%, Asian Californians: 15.5%, Hispanic Californians: 39.4%).
In addition, the law became more accessible on Jan. 1, 2022, when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 380 to reduce the mandatory minimum waiting time between the first and second oral request from 15 days to 48 hours. Research shows the updated law has been effective in reducing barriers to access. The updated legislation included a provision that would expire at the end of 2025 unless new legislation was passed. SB 380 extended that sunset provision to 2031.
Three in four Californians (75%) support the End of Life Option Act, including the majority of every demographic group surveyed. That includes: Hispanic Californians (68%), Black Californians (70%), Asian Californians (76%) and white Californians (82%), according to the California Health Care Foundation.
José Alejandro Lemuz, used his last three weeks of life to advocate for medical aid in dying in California, by authoring an editorial published in Los Angeles Daily News: My Advice for Terminally Ill Latinos Like Me: You Have Options. He also met with two journalists from major Spanish language networks to ensure his message was heard by fellow Latinos throughout the United States, Islands and territories.
“Doctors kept p “Doctors kept pushing more chemotherapy and radiation on me.. until I said: no more,” Don José said before taking the aid-in-dying medication on March 30, 2024. “I am so grateful for this law that gives me the opportunity to go in peace.”
Medical aid in dying is a trusted and time-tested medical practice. The fundamental core safeguards embedded in medical aid-in-dying laws ensure that all terminally ill individuals pursuing the option are protected from coercion and abuse.
California is one of 10 states — including Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana (via a state Supreme Court ruling), New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, as well as Washington, D.C. Collectively these 11 jurisdictions represent more than one out of five U.S. residents (22%) and have decades of combined experience using this end-of-life care option, starting with Oregon in 1997.
About Compassion & Choices
Compassion & Choices is the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit organization working to improve care, expand options, and empower everyone to chart their end-of-life journey, with 450,000 supporters nationwide. For more information, visit: CompassionAndChoices.org/California
**To learn more about medical aid-in-dying, watch “Take Me Out Feet First” a documentary on Amazon Prime by Serene Meshel-Dillman, developed in partnership with Compassion & Choices. The film chronicles the stories of terminally-ill advocates and their experiences with medical aid in dying.**
CONTACT: Patricia A. González-Portillo, (323) 819-0310, [email protected]
Compassion & Choices
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Michael Cavaiola
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Phone: (480) 622 4427
Patricia A. González-Portillo
Senior National Latino Media Director
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(323) 819 0310
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