Atta Zahedi
PR Coordinator
Advocates across Illinois share testimony to oppose legalizing medical discrimination against vulnerable populations
SPRINGFIELD – Leading disability rights organization Access Living joined a diverse coalition of organizations and individuals opposed to legislation that would legalize offering lethal medication to terminally ill Illinoisans and put people with disabilities at risk.
Access Living and others protested the legislation known as The Illinois End of Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act at a news conference in Springfield on Wednesday, March 13 at 2 pm.
While other end-of-life options are available without putting people at risk of prematurely terminating their life, such as advanced directives and Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders, this dangerous legislation would allow doctors to prescribe life-ending medication to people with a life expectancy of 6 months or less. People with disabilities, healthcare professionals, and advocates have warned that the subjective nature of calculating life expectancy, along with pressures such as healthcare costs and the lack of support for both chronically and acutely ill people, disproportionately put those with disabilities and illnesses at risk of premature death.
“When end-of-life options are already available, this bill will put entire vulnerable populations of people who already face medical neglect or abuse at huge risk,” says Amber Smock, Vice President of Advocacy at Access Living. “There is no number of safeguards that could be put in place that will offset the pressure from insurance providers, ill-intended caretakers, and a biased healthcare system.”
Doctors also have warned about how this bill would change the nature of healthcare. “As physicians, we’re here to educate people as to how they can optimize their health and lives, not end their lives.” says Dr. Kevin Garner, Medical Director at Chestnut Health Systems. “Rather than hastening a patient’s death, we must advocate for increased access to palliative care.”
Several individuals with disabilities and terminal illnesses joined to share their experiences of how the legalization and expansion of physician-assisted suicide legislation would have or has put their lives and well-being at risk. “In 2012, my health deteriorated to the point where my doctors and specialists said, ‘I can’t help you. I don’t have any more options for treatment,’” says Cori Salchert, a foster mother with disabilities that has fostered five children with terminal illnesses. “Once we decide that someone can choose to end their lives with lethal drugs, it will be easy to conclude that people – like me and the children we care for — should be eased out of their lives to save money.”
Physician-assisted suicide has been expanded in states beyond their original span when initially introduced. In 2022, a Denver doctor confirmed that she assisted two of her patients with anorexia nervosa in acquiring lethal medication by classifying them as being terminally ill. “I would have gladly sought out physician-assisted suicide had it been available for anorexia back in the mid-1990s,” warns Heather Weininger, a survivor of anorexia. “Legalizing assisted suicide puts those with mental illnesses at risk of death, and assisted suicide is always further expanded rather than increasing support for people living with health issues.”
The Catholic Conference of Illinois also took part in opposition to the proposed legislation. “Expanding and improving end-of-life care should be prioritized when we are acknowledging that people are seeking relief from medical complications,” says Robert Gilligan, Executive Director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois. “Increased mental health options for people would better reflect the state’s goals of improving medical care.”
PRINGFIELD – Leading disability rights organization Access Living joined a diverse coalition of organizations and individuals opposed to legislation that would legalize offering lethal medication to terminally ill Illinoisans and put people with disabilities at risk.
Access Living and others protested the legislation known as The Illinois End of Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act at a news conference in Springfield on Wednesday, March 13 at 2 pm.
While other end-of-life options are available without putting people at risk of prematurely terminating their life, such as advanced directives and Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders, this dangerous legislation would allow doctors to prescribe life-ending medication to people with a life expectancy of 6 months or less. People with disabilities, healthcare professionals, and advocates have warned that the subjective nature of calculating life expectancy, along with pressures such as healthcare costs and the lack of support for both chronically and acutely ill people, disproportionately put those with disabilities and illnesses at risk of premature death.
“When end-of-life options are already available, this bill will put entire vulnerable populations of people who already face medical neglect or abuse at huge risk,” says Amber Smock, Vice President of Advocacy at Access Living. “There is no number of safeguards that could be put in place that will offset the pressure from insurance providers, ill-intended caretakers, and a biased healthcare system.”
Doctors also have warned about how this bill would change the nature of healthcare. “As physicians, we’re here to educate people as to how they can optimize their health and lives, not end their lives.” says Dr. Kevin Garner, Medical Director at Chestnut Health Systems. “Rather than hastening a patient’s death, we must advocate for increased access to palliative care.”
Several individuals with disabilities and terminal illnesses joined to share their experiences of how the legalization and expansion of physician-assisted suicide legislation would have or has put their lives and well-being at risk. “In 2012, my health deteriorated to the point where my doctors and specialists said, ‘I can’t help you. I don’t have any more options for treatment,’” says Cori Salchert, a foster mother with disabilities that has fostered five children with terminal illnesses. “Once we decide that someone can choose to end their lives with lethal drugs, it will be easy to conclude that people – like me and the children we care for — should be eased out of their lives to save money.”
Physician-assisted suicide has been expanded in states beyond their original span when initially introduced. In 2022, a Denver doctor confirmed that she assisted two of her patients with anorexia nervosa in acquiring lethal medication by classifying them as being terminally ill. “I would have gladly sought out physician-assisted suicide had it been available for anorexia back in the mid-1990s,” warns Heather Weininger, a survivor of anorexia. “Legalizing assisted suicide puts those with mental illnesses at risk of death, and assisted suicide is always further expanded rather than increasing support for people living with health issues.”
The Catholic Conference of Illinois also took part in opposition to the proposed legislation. “Expanding and improving end-of-life care should be prioritized when we are acknowledging that people are seeking relief from medical complications,” says Robert Gilligan, Executive Director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois. “Increased mental health options for people would better reflect the state’s goals of improving medical care.”
“The Patients’ Rights Action Fund advocates for patients to have access to high quality multidisciplinary end-of-life care as we work against efforts to make assisted suicide a legal medical treatment,” stated Matt Valliere, Executive Director of PRAF. “We believe that assisted suicide is discriminatory to our most vulnerable populations, especially older people and those with disabilities and has no place as being viewed as a medical option.
PRINGFIELD – Leading disability rights organization Access Living joined a diverse coalition of organizations and individuals opposed to legislation that would legalize offering lethal medication to terminally ill Illinoisans and put people with disabilities at risk.
Access Living and others protested the legislation known as The Illinois End of Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act at a news conference in Springfield on Wednesday, March 13 at 2 pm.
While other end-of-life options are available without putting people at risk of prematurely terminating their life, such as advanced directives and Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders, this dangerous legislation would allow doctors to prescribe life-ending medication to people with a life expectancy of 6 months or less. People with disabilities, healthcare professionals, and advocates have warned that the subjective nature of calculating life expectancy, along with pressures such as healthcare costs and the lack of support for both chronically and acutely ill people, disproportionately put those with disabilities and illnesses at risk of premature death.
“When end-of-life options are already available, this bill will put entire vulnerable populations of people who already face medical neglect or abuse at huge risk,” says Amber Smock, Vice President of Advocacy at Access Living. “There is no number of safeguards that could be put in place that will offset the pressure from insurance providers, ill-intended caretakers, and a biased healthcare system.”
Doctors also have warned about how this bill would change the nature of healthcare. “As physicians, we’re here to educate people as to how they can optimize their health and lives, not end their lives.” says Dr. Kevin Garner, Medical Director at Chestnut Health Systems. “Rather than hastening a patient’s death, we must advocate for increased access to palliative care.”
Several individuals with disabilities and terminal illnesses joined to share their experiences of how the legalization and expansion of physician-assisted suicide legislation would have or has put their lives and well-being at risk. “In 2012, my health deteriorated to the point where my doctors and specialists said, ‘I can’t help you. I don’t have any more options for treatment,’” says Cori Salchert, a foster mother with disabilities that has fostered five children with terminal illnesses. “Once we decide that someone can choose to end their lives with lethal drugs, it will be easy to conclude that people – like me and the children we care for — should be eased out of their lives to save money.”
Physician-assisted suicide has been expanded in states beyond their original span when initially introduced. In 2022, a Denver doctor confirmed that she assisted two of her patients with anorexia nervosa in acquiring lethal medication by classifying them as being terminally ill. “I would have gladly sought out physician-assisted suicide had it been available for anorexia back in the mid-1990s,” warns Heather Weininger, a survivor of anorexia. “Legalizing assisted suicide puts those with mental illnesses at risk of death, and assisted suicide is always further expanded rather than increasing support for people living with health issues.”
The Catholic Conference of Illinois also took part in opposition to the proposed legislation. “Expanding and improving end-of-life care should be prioritized when we are acknowledging that people are seeking relief from medical complications,” says Robert Gilligan, Executive Director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois. “Increased mental health options for people would better reflect the state’s goals of improving medical care.”
“The Patients’ Rights Action Fund advocates for patients to have access to high quality multidisciplinary end-of-life care as we work against efforts to make assisted suicide a legal medical treatment,” stated Matt Valliere, Executive Director of PRAF. “We believe that assisted suicide is discriminatory to our most vulnerable populations, especially older people and those with disabilities and has no place as being viewed as a medical option.
The coalition protesting physician-assisted suicide includes:
- Access Living
- Patients’ Rights Action Fund
- Catholic Conference of Illinois
- Not Dead Yet
- RAMP CIL