Robert Baker (Union) passed on the update from the State of Oregon on the past year’s experiences with its Death with Dignity Act. From the Report:
Seventh Year Stats on DWD Law Released Today
Today, the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) released its
seventh annual report on the Death with Dignity law. The DHS, an
independent, non-partisan state agency, is responsible for monitoring
and enforcing compliance with the Oregon law. The report provides a
summary of the experiences of patients and physicians who
participated in the law during its seventh year of implementation
(January 1, 2004 – December 31, 2004).The report’s findings include:
1. 37 individuals availed themselves of the law in 2003
(approximately 12/10,000 total deaths in Oregon last year);
2. All the individuals were covered by health insurance;
3. 89% were enrolled in hospice care;
4. Those choosing Death with Dignity were well-educated (51% with
college degrees) and cited loss of autonomy, decreasing ability to
engage in enjoyable activities and loss of dignity as their primary
end-of-life concerns;
5. 97% were able to die at home;
6. Cancer was the most common diagnosis.For the seventh consecutive year, data continues to demonstrate that
the law works as intended. Despite the care with which the law has been implemented and the
peace of mind it has provided to those at the end of life, the Oregon
Death with Dignity law remains under attack.On February 22, 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the Department
of Justice’s request for a hearing in Gonzales v. Oregon, No. 04-623
(formerly Oregon v. Ashcroft; Alberto Gonzales succeeded John
Ashcroft as U.S. Attorney General in February 2005).
The Court will likely hear the case in this fall. The Death with
Dignity law remains in effect.