Health
Illinois Bill Would Allow Terminally Ill Adults to End Their Lives With Medical Assistance
As Illinois lawmakers consider a bill that would allow terminally ill adults to end their lives with medical assistance, opponents warn the measure could worsen longstanding disparities in health care, especially for people who live below the poverty line, are disabled or are incarcerated.
The bill would legalize the use of prescription drugs that aid in dying, what’s commonly referred to as physician-assisted suicide.
An Illinois House of Representatives committee voted Wednesday to push the bill forward.
Disability rights advocates, including Access Living policy analyst Sebastian Nalls, are urging lawmakers to halt the bill. Nalls argues that legalizing medical-assisted death in a state with deep health care inequities puts already vulnerable populations at greater risk.
“We want to prioritize increasing the amount of independent living support that folks have, increasing the access to end-of-life care and improving the quality of that end-of-life care,” said Nalls.
Access Living has long opposed measures like the End-of-Life Options Act, warning that the bill could function less as an act of compassion and more as a de facto death sentence for Illinoisans who lack access to hospice, palliative care or mental health services.
The concerns come amid a broader health care crisis in the state and nation. Gov. JB Pritzker has proposed cuts in his state budget to health care for undocumented adults, and President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” proposes cutting more than $600 billion from Medicaid.
Supporters of SB3499 say the measure offers compassion and autonomy to individuals who are already facing the end of their lives. Supporters point to similar laws in 11 other states and the District of Columbia where medical aid in dying is already permitted.
End-of-life doula Tiffany Johnson backs the measure, saying it’s an option that gives individuals nearing the end of their life dignity and autonomy.
“As someone who advocates for folks who are dying on a regular basis for my work, it does not matter to me what I think is right or wrong,” said Johnson. “My whole goal is to give people the option and what works best for them.”
