A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has called on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr to implement strict hospice reporting rules aimed at preventing discrimination and coercion in medically assisted suicide. In a letter sent Thursday, the members of Congress warned that older adults, people with disabilities, and those with disaffected caregivers face heightened risks of being pressured to end their lives.
Lawmakers Express Concerns Over Coercion
Republican Senator James Lankford stated, "Every person has inherent worth and dignity, including those facing their final days. Hospice should be a place of compassion, comfort, and care, where the suffering are surrounded by loved ones and quality health care, not a place where they feel quietly pressured to end their lives through assisted suicide." The letter was also signed by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, Republican Representative Greg Murphy, and Democratic Representative Jose Luis Correa.
Specific Requests for Monitoring
The lawmakers requested that HHS and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) monitor several aspects of assisted suicide, including discriminatory practices, whether insurance companies deny life-sustaining care but offer coverage for physician-assisted suicide drugs, and compliance with federal restrictions that ban using federal funds for physician-assisted suicide items or services.
Although federal funds are legally prohibited from supporting medically assisted suicide, 13 states—including New York and California—and the District of Columbia have legalized the practice. Eligible patients are typically adults diagnosed with a terminal illness and a prognosis of six months or less, who self-administer prescribed lethal medication.
Disability Community Concerns
The letter noted, "Many individuals with disabilities warn that states legalizing physician-assisted suicide send the message that the lives of persons with disabilities are less valued in society." Lawmakers also expressed concern that witness requirements for assisted suicide may fail to protect elderly patients from financial abuse, as witnesses could benefit financially from the patient's death through wills or life insurance.
Statistics on Assisted Suicide
According to the non-profit organization Aging With Dignity, at least 14,446 Americans have died by physician-assisted suicide since 1997.
