Latest news with #MedicalAidinDyingAct
Politico
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Hochul faces perilous path on aid-in-dying legislation
The same poll found Hochul leading three potential Republican rivals in the 2026 gubernatorial race by at least 20 points, although none has announced. Corinne Carey, who serves as senior campaign director for New York and New Jersey for Compassion & Choices, which advocates for aid-in-dying bills, said that in the 11 states where similar laws passed there was little evidence of negative political consequences for supporters. 'No governor or lawmaker has ever lost at the polls following their action,' Carey said in a statement to POLITICO. 'Governor Hochul has nothing to fear politically and everything to gain by signing the Medical Aid in Dying Act into law.' But that's not stopping Hochul's political foes from wielding the issue as a political brickbat. One of her potential GOP challengers, Rep. Elise Stefanik, criticized the governor in a New York Post op-ed last month for her 'gutless silence' on the measure. 'The bill now sits on Hochul's desk, and where is she? Hiding. Silent. Dodging with a spineless 'she'll review the legislation' statement from her team,' Stefanik wrote, calling the legislation a 'moral travesty.' Hochul's office declined to comment on Stefanik's remarks or answer questions for this article. Stefanik and other aid-in-dying opponents have partly hinged their arguments on the state's low utilization of hospice and palliative care programs, which focus on improving seriously ill patients' quality of life by easing pain and distress. 'Instead of investing in palliative care, mental health support and life-affirming resources for those facing terminal illness, this legislation offers an immoral shortcut that devalues human life,' Stefanik said in a statement after its passage in the Assembly. But Jeanne Chirico, president of the Hospice & Palliative Care Association of New York State, denounced arguments that pit the two treatment pathways against each other. She said Hochul should invest more resources into hospice and palliative care regardless of her decision on medical aid in dying, noting that the association is neutral on the bill. In states that have authorized medical aid in dying, 88 percent of individuals who used it were enrolled in hospice or palliative care services at the time of their deaths, according to a report released this year by Compassion & Choices. New York would become the 12th state to legalize the measure. 'This is not an independent decision on medical aid in dying — this is about quality of end-of-life care,' Chirico said. Chirico said the association met post-session with the governor's office to discuss the aid-in-dying bill and press for state funding to bolster the hospice and palliative care workforce.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gov. Hochul's review now pending on Medical Aid in Dying Act
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – The New York State Senate has passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act for the first time since the legislation was introduced in 2016. The bill allows terminally ill adults with incurable diseases and six months or less to live the ability to make the decision to peacefully end their lives through a prescription. If signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York State will join 11 other U.S. states in legalizing the end-of-life option. News 8 heard from those in support of and against the legislation, as it now goes to the governor's desk for signature. Andrea Calloway serves as executive director for the Sunset House, which is Irondequoit's only comfort care home for terminally ill patients. The Sunset House has been offering end-of-life care, supported by donations, for over 35 years. 'Here at the Sunset House, we allow the resident to be in control of decision making, as long as it's safe. I believe, personally, people should have the right to their own decisions of what will work best for them,' said Calloway. New York State Assemblymember Josh Jensen has opposed the bill from the beginning and led the debate on the state Assembly floor before it passed. 'What was really prevalent in the Assembly debate is it's not a partisan issue and not a conservative issue, it's a question of morality. It's a question of life or death. I think that was shown not just through opposition of people like me, but I think 21 Democratic no votes and six Democratic no votes in the Senate last night. Certainly, there was bipartisan opposition, but not bipartisan support,' said Asm. Jensen. From the perspective of hospice care, Calloway adds it's unclear what the future of this option might look like for providers like the Sunset House, should it become law. 'It's a jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces. There's a lot of moving parts here. There's family involved, friends involved, a doctor involved, and the individual person involved. [It's a question of,] 'Do you have everything in order before you make this decision to do this?' There's lots of pieces involved,' said Calloway. Assemblymember Harry Bronson also weighed in, saying the bill offers a 'compassionate choice.' 'While I understand and respect the concerns of those who object, I believe the Medical Aid in Dying Act is fundamentally about offering a compassionate choice to qualified patients who wish to die on their own terms. This legislation represents a careful balance between providing end-of-life autonomy and maintaining essential protections to ensure that this profound decision is made voluntarily by those who are truly facing the end of their lives.' As the legislation goes before Gov. Hochul for review, the president of the New York State Bar Association issued the following statement to encourage her approval: 'Medical Aid in Dying offers both dignity and compassion to those experiencing a terminal illness. It ensures that New Yorkers have a full array of end-of-life options and provides them with the autonomy to make their own choices to avoid needless suffering. We commend the legislature for passing this important bill and will continue to offer our support and advocacy in encouraging the governor to sign it into law.' More information about the Sunset House and ways to support their care can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vermont, New York, New Hampshire sue to stop 23andMe sale
MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – More than two dozen states including Vermont, New York and New Hampshire are suing to block the sale of a once popular genetic testing company. 23andMe is in bankruptcy protection. The company is known for its direct-to-consumer genetic testing services, allowing people to obtain information about their ancestry and potential health conditions. NYS Senate passes Medical Aid in Dying Act Bio-tech company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals requested the court's approval to buy the firm for $256 million, but the states say DNA samples of about 15 million previous customers are too sensitive to allow the transaction without each person giving their informed consent. 'Genetic information is some of the most sensitive information a company can hold about a person,' said Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark. 'It's incredibly personal and forever unchangeable. 'Vermonters' genetic information shouldn't be up for sale without their consent. I am taking action to make sure that Vermonters have the right to decide what happens with their genetic information.' Two found with 'over 100 glassine bags' of fentanyl in Vt. The court has appointed an independent official to examine the proposed sale and its impact on consumer privacy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New York Senate Passes Bill to Allow Terminally Ill Residents to Choose Medical Aid in Dying
The New York State Senate has passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act, which would allow someone who is terminally ill to choose to end their life Those eligible must be diagnosed with a terminal illness that's medically determined to "produce death within six months" The bill now goes to Governor Kathy Hochul for her signature but it's unclear if she will sign itThe New York State Senate has passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act, which allows those who are terminally ill to choose to end their life. The bill now goes to Governor Kathy Hochul for her signature. If the bill passes, it would make New York the twelfth state to allow terminally ill people to choose medical aid in dying. 'It isn't about ending a person's life, but shortening their death,' State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, one of the bill's sponsors, told The New York Times. The bill defines those eligible as being mentally competent and having a 'terminal illness' that 'has been medically confirmed and will, within reasonable medical judgment, produce death within six months.' Those who are eligible for medical aid in dying can request, in writing, a lethal dose of medication that they would self-administer. The request must be witnessed by two people who are not blood relatives, or who would 'be entitled to any portion of the estate of the patient upon death.' 'This is about personal autonomy,' Hoylman-Sigal told the NYT. 'This is about liberty. This is about exercising one's own freedom to control one's own body.' Opponents like state Sen. George Borrello have referred to the bill as 'state-authorized suicide' to CBS News. As Gothamist reports, it's unclear whether or not Hochul will sign the bill into law; a spokesperson for the governor has said she will review the legislation. In a statement on the passing the bill, Hoylman-Sigal said 70% of the state's residents approve the legislation, which will "finally give New Yorkers access to this compassionate and dignified end of life care option.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Read the original article on People
NDTV
10-06-2025
- Health
- NDTV
New York State Senate To Allow Terminally Ill People To End Their Lives Peacefully
The New York State Senate passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act on Monday by a vote of 35-27, giving legal rights to terminally ill people to end their own lives with pharmaceutical drugs. The bill, which was approved in the State Assembly 81-67 in April, will head to Governor Kathy Hochul for final approval. Once it gets final approval and becomes a law, the Medical Aid in Dying Act will allow terminally ill adults, who are mentally capable with a prognosis of six months or less, to end their lives peacefully using a prescription. The prognosis should be confirmed by two doctors. New York will join other states, including Oregon, Washington, California, Montana, Colorado, Hawaii, Vermont, Maine, New Mexico and New Jersey, to legalise medical aid in dying if the governor signs the bill. It's also legal in the District of Columbia. "It's been a long road but thanks to the dedicated activists from groups like Compassion & Choices and Death with Dignity we have built the broadest coalition ever assembled of doctors, nurses, patients and legal advocates from across New York to support this bill," Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Senate Sponsor of Medical Aid in Dying, said in a press release. Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, a Westchester Democrat who leads the body's Health Committee, first introduced the bill a decade ago. It was personal for her as she had watched her sister die after a battle with cancer the year before. "After more than a decade of advocacy, we are finally on the brink of giving terminally ill New Yorkers the autonomy and dignity they deserve at life's end. This legislation is about easing needless suffering and honouring deeply personal choices," Paulin said.
