2001-2010 - Compassion & Choices

2001

Compassion & Choices represents the Bergman family of California in bringing the nation’s first case to claim that failure to treat pain adequately constitutes elder abuse, winning a $1.5 million verdict for patient’s pain and suffering. The case establishes that failure to treat pain adequately can expose healthcare providers to significant financial liability.

2002

Attorney General John Ashcroft issued a directive in 2001 to prevent the Oregon Death With Dignity Act from being implemented. The state of Oregon sued to stop the directive, joined by a group of terminally ill Oregonians and represented by Compassion & Choices. Federal District Court Judge Robert E. Jones in Oregon v. Ashcroft rules against the Ashcroft directive rebuking the federal government for its attempt to “stifle an ongoing, earnest and profound debate in the various states” concerning aid in dying.

2003

Barbara Coombs Lee, president of Compassion in Dying Federation (and later the first CEO of Compassion & Choices) publishes Compassion in Dying: Stories of Dignity and Choice.

Beginning in 2003 and continuing through 2013, Compassion in Dying/Compassion & Choices works with MergerWatch to challenge Catholic hospital mergers that threatened patient access to end-of-life options. As Catholic healthcare systems expanded and imposed strict prohibitions on intentional death C&C worked to block restrictive consolidations, defend community hospitals, and uphold patient-directed care.

2004

The State of Oregon asks the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Oregon v. Ashcroft to affirm the lower court’s decision, which it does, leaving the Oregon Death With Dignity Act intact.

2005

The Hemlock Society, after rebranding as End-of-Life Choices in 2003, merges with the Compassion in Dying Federation to form Compassion & Choices. The merger combines grassroots advocacy for medical aid in dying, pain management and other end of life care and options with direct client support and end-of-life planning, uniting two major forces in the movement to expand and protect end-of-life options in the United States.

2006

Medical associations begin to adopt policies supporting aid in dying, including The American Women’s Medical Association, the American Public Health Association, and The American Medical Student Association.

2007

In October, two terminally ill Montana residents (Robert Baxter and Steven Stoel), four Montana doctors, and Compassion & Choices file a complaint asking the district court to state that medical aid in dying was permitted by statute or, in the alternative, to rule that prosecuting a physician for providing a prescription for medical aid in dying to a consenting patient was unconstitutional.

In September, Compassion & Choices releases its first national dementia provision that can be attached to any state’s advance directive for documenting care preferences in the event of cognitive decline.

2008

Compassion & Choices publishes Principles for Patient Centered End-of-Life Care. Based on more than 25 years of practical experience in end-of-life care and advocacy, Compassion & Choices publishes this comprehensive framework outlining what high-quality, patient-directed end-of-life care should look like. The Principles drive the care and advocacy Compassion & Choices advances in transforming end-of-life care.

In September, California becomes the first state in the nation to grant terminally ill patients the legal right to receive information, upon request, from their doctors about the full range of end-of-life care options. The landmark legislation, known as the Terminal Patients’ Right to Know End-of-Life Options Act, was championed by Compassion & Choices and signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger with support from the California Medical Association (CMA).

On November 4, Washington voters overwhelmingly approve by ballot measure the Death With Dignity Act by a margin of 59 to 41 percent. Washington becomes the second state to authorize medical aid in dying.

On December 5, in the Baxter case brought by Compassion & Choices in 2007, Montana District Court Judge Dorothy McCarter holds that the Montana Constitution protects a peaceful death with dignity, making Montana the third state to clearly authorize medical aid in dying. The Montana attorney general appeals the case and it heads to the Montana Supreme Court.

National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) is founded by Nathan Kottkamp. Compassion & Choices becomes an active participant and promoter, offering the public a robust website with national and state-specific resources for advance care planning.

2009

On December 31, in Baxter v. Montana the Montana Supreme Court rules 5–2 in favor of the landmark case brought by Compassion & Choices, affirming that it is not against Montana public policy for a physician to provide medical aid in dying to a mentally capable, terminally ill individual.

Compassion & Choices publishes the “Good-to-Go” Toolkit, the first national end-of-life planning guide built around an individual’s values and priorities. A precursor to today’s End-of-Life Decisions Guide and Toolkit, it includes worksheets, advance-directive forms, dementia addenda, and conversation guides. Its online companion creates one of the earliest digital hubs for end-of-life planning, offering a national registry with direct access to every state’s advance directive laws and forms, as well as tools for creating electronic files for clinicians.

Compassion & Choices publishes the first educational brochure on Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) for the general public, along with a best-practice manual for those considering the option. These materials outline the process, risks, and safeguards.

Compassion & Choices produces Dignity & Choices, the first International Symposium on End-of-Life Advocacy, convening more than 100 legislators, policymakers, and experts in healthcare, medicine, and law during debate surrounding passage of the Affordable Care Act. The effort seeks to secure a Medicare billing code for healthcare provider reimbursement for advance care planning conversations.

2010

New York passes the Palliative Care Information Act (PCIA) in August. The law, drafted by Compassion & Choices and modeled after a similar measure it passed in California, requires healthcare workers to provide information and counseling on end-of-life options.

History of the Movement

Use the buttons below to skip to a specific year