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The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has published a report including the number of individuals known to have taken their lives under California's end of life bill. The law requires the CDPH to provide annual reports about the effects of the law. 111 people have died after taking prescribed aid-in-dying drugs from June 9th, 2016 to December 31st, 2016 (subsequent reports will cover full calendar years):
The law — which allows terminally ill adults to obtain life-ending drugs from their doctors — took effect on June 9, 2016. Between then and the end of the year, 191 people received prescriptions under the act and 111 people died after taking prescribed aid-in-dying drugs, according to a report released Tuesday by the California Department of Public Health.
In that time period, a total of 258 people began the end-of-life process under the law, which requires patients to make two verbal requests to their doctors at least 15 days apart.
Previously: California Legislature Approves Bill Legalizing Physician-Assisted Suicide - UK Reject Similar Law
California to Permit Assisted Suicide Starting June 9th, Could Raise Smoking Age to 21
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @04:13PM (3 children)
Is there a difference between regular suicide and medically-assisted from the standpoint of the insurance companies? Lots of policies won't pay out to the surviving spouse and kin if the policy holder commits suicide. Would they pay out in this case if their death was medically-assisted and state-sanctioned?
(Score: 1) by kanweg on Friday June 30 2017, @05:51PM (1 child)
If the money is withheld so as to avoid desperate people from killing themselves and leaving their spouse with some money, that might be OK. But now the insurance companies get to KEEP the money, if I'm correct. Now they are the beneficiaries of the suicide. It should be arranged that in such a case the money invested is returned to the spouse, and the remainder of the money goes to some charity (e.g. a suicide prevention foundation). That the insurance companies get to keep the money is terrible and should be illegal.
....
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday June 30 2017, @06:01PM
Fortunately, here on the internet we have the fix for that. First, change your moral opinions so that you aren't wasting time on this windmill. Second, keep in mind that the insurance company a) no longer gets paid once someone dies, and b) can't charge as much in premiums when costs go down. That means less profits in the long run.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @06:35PM
I see this as an opportunity for the health insurance and life insurance companies to negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement.
Health insurance would save much more money than what the life insurance would be able to make from a few more months of premiums. The health insurance companies could simply pay the life insurance premiums so the patients wouldn't spend extra time waiting to die in a hospital.