Medical aid in dying Explained

What is Medical Aid in Dying?

Medical aid in dying allows a terminally ill, mentally capable adult to voluntarily request and receive prescription medication from a healthcare provider that they can self-administer to die peacefully, on their own terms.

See Where Medical Aid in Dying is Authorized

Who Qualifies?

To be eligible, an individual must:

Be 18 years or older
Have at least one healthcare provider diagnose them with a terminal illness
Have a prognosis of six months or less to live
Be mentally capable of making an informed healthcare decision
Be able to self-ingest their medication

Safeguards

Clinicians must discuss all appropriate end-of-life care options, including comfort care, hospice, pain management, and palliative care.
The person may change their mind at any time, even after obtaining the medication.
Participation is voluntary — no medical provider, institution, or individual is required to take part.

Proven and trusted

Medical aid in dying is an established end-of-life healthcare option.
Oregon voters approved the nation’s first law in 1994, and it took effect in 1997.
Experience shows this medical practice works as intended — to empower people while protecting patients and providers.
Accessing this care requires a multi-step request process and other requirements to protect individuals against coercion.

One choice among many

Medical aid in dying is one option within a spectrum of end-of-life care that
may include:

Hospice and palliative care
Stopping curative treatment
Declining or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment
Voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED)

How Compassion & Choices helps

We work to expand and protect all end-of-life healthcare options —including medical aid in dying, voluntary stopping of eating and drinking, hospice, palliative care, and offer tools for advance care and dementia planning.

Our advocacy ensures patients remain the decision-makers at life’s end and that these rights are protected nationwide

Explore Our End Of Life Resources