“We are grateful to Vermont lawmakers for recognizing that a state border shouldn’t determine if you die peacefully or in agony,” the group’s CEO Kim Callinan said in a statement. But Vermont is the first to explicitly remove a legal residency requirement statewide.ĭr. In total, aid-in-dying care, also called “death with dignity” by advocates or “assisted suicide” by opponents, is legal in nine other states, as well as the District of Columbia. The diagnosis and determination about ability to consent is made by the prescribing physician and reviewed by another physician. Requests two weeks apart must be made verbally and in writing, and observed by two unrelated parties. To be eligible for the prescription, a patient must be older than 18, capable of making an informed decision and self-administering the medication, and be diagnosed with an illness that is expected to result in death within six months. Patient Choices is also encouraging out-of-state residents to first discuss their end-of-life options with their in-state health care providers and request a referral to a physician in Vermont. “That means there are a lot of arrangements that they’ll have to make.”Īlthough the residency requirement for patients has been removed, the liability protections for doctors, patients and others who assist in the process still don’t extend beyond Vermont state lines. “It’s very important that people understand that they have to be prepared to come to Vermont for all the steps in the process, including taking the medication,” Walkerman said.

The group, in conjunction with an advisory panel of palliative-care providers and lawyers, have created a detailed informational page for nonresidents on its website, which includes guidelines for Vermont doctors. Scott’s office announced the signing of H.190 with little fanfare, but the nonprofit advocacy group Patient Choices Vermont has been preparing for this moment for months, according to president Betsy Walkerman. The process both must follow is laid out in a 2013 state law. Now an adult with a terminal illness living out-of-state will have the option of consulting with a Vermont-licensed physician about receiving a prescription for a drug that will hasten death. Phil Scott removed the residency requirement for medical aid-in-dying care, making Vermont the first state to do so legislatively. With the stroke of a pen on Tuesday, Gov. Phil Scott signed a bill Tuesday removing the residency requirement for terminal patients to receive medical aid-in-dying.

The Carer by Scott Nelson