Since April 2021, medical aid in dying is, under certain conditions, legal in New Mexico. This is due to the Elizabeth Whitefield End of Life Options Act. On June 18, this act went into effect. Terminally ill New Mexico residents have now the possibility to begin the qualification process to receive aid-in-dying medication.
The Elizabeth Whitefield End of Life Options Act speaks of medical aid . On June 18, this act went into effect. Terminally ill New Mexico residents have now the possibility to begin the qualification process to receive aid-in-dying medication.
The Act is particularly innovative in increasing patient access, and it should be a model for future death with dignity laws:
Shorter Waiting Period: Patients in New Mexico only have to wait 48 hours to have their prescription filled for aid-in-dying medication after it is written by their prescribing health care provider. If the health care provider feels a patient will likely die sooner, the waiting period can be waived.
Additional Providers: New Mexico is the first state to authorize advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants to participate as either the prescribing or consulting health care provider, as long as at least one physician is involved in assessing the patient.
Hospice Provision: If a patient is already enrolled in hospice, they do not need a consulting health care provider to participate, only a prescribing physician, as they would have already been evaluated by a palliative healthcare team, and deemed terminally ill.
More than 100 terminally ill patients in New Mexico used the Elizabeth Whitefield End of Life Options Act to use medical assistance in dying in
On June 18, the Elizabeth Whitefield End of Life Options Act went into effect. Terminally ill New Mexico residents can now begin the qualification process
On April 8, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed New Mexico’s Elizabeth Whitefield End of Life Options Act into law. With the Governor’s signature, New
On March 15, New Mexico’s Senate voted 24 to 17, with sponsor-accepted amendments, to pass end of life options for New Mexico. The Elizabeth Whitefield
On February 20, the Elizabeth Whitefield End-of-Life Options Act (HouseBill47), passed New Mexico’s House of Representatives, with a vote of 39 to 27. The bill
