8 Important Reasons to Oppose Legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide

1. Insurance Companies Deny Lifesaving Treatment

   1. Assisted suicide gives insurers and governments an incentive to push cheaper lethal drugs over costly treatments.

   2. Example: A woman’s insurer denied her treatment but offered assisted suicide drugs for a $1.20 co-pay.

2. Lack of Mental Health Evaluations Before Prescribing Lethal Drugs

   1. Only 3.3% of patients in Oregon were referred for psychiatric evaluation before receiving lethal drugs.

      
      

3. Pain Is Not the Main Reason for Seeking Assisted Suicide

   1. Top reasons include loss of autonomy, burden on family, and loss of dignity—issues familiar to the disability community.

4. Six-Month Prognoses for Death Are Unreliable

   1. Studies show that doctors often miscalculate life expectancy, with only 20% of predictions being accurate.

   2. Many patients outlive their hospice care, proving the uncertainty of prognosis.

5. Assisted Suicide Expands to Non-Terminal Conditions

   1. Patients with treatable conditions, such as anorexia and diabetes, have received lethal drugs.

   2. Assisted suicide is not restricted to those with terminal illness.

6. Suicide Contagion & Public Promotion Are Real Risks

   1. Areas where assisted suicide is legal have seen a significant increase in overall suicide rates.

   2. A Veterans Affairs staffer suggested assisted suicide to a veteran seeking help for PTSD.

7. People With Disabilities Fear Coercion & Abuse

   1. Assisted suicide laws lack oversight, allowing potential coercion and abuse.

   2. No independent witness is required when lethal drugs are administered, creating a

      loophole for abuse.

8. "Safeguards" Are Eroded Over Time

   1. Proponents push to

      waiting periods, residency requirements, and expand

      eligibility criteria.

   2. Assisted suicide laws shift toward euthanasia by removing self-administration

      requirements.
      

For more information about the legal wave towards "Medical Aid in Dying", check out our recent blog on the topic.