Bill > SB3795

This bill significantly amends the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act by expanding definitions and introducing new safeguards and procedures for medical aid in dying. Key provisions include a mandatory mental health evaluation for all patients seeking medical aid in dying to ensure they have decision-making capacity and are not suffering from conditions that impair judgment, with specific attention to concerns about financial costs, burdens on caregivers, loss of autonomy, and loss of dignity, which must be discussed with a newly established Medical Aid in Dying Ombudsman. The bill also strengthens informed consent standards by requiring physicians to provide comprehensive information about all end-of-life care options, including comfort, palliative, and hospice care, and adds explicit protections against coercion and undue influence. It mandates detailed record-keeping for physicians, including the safe disposal of unused medication, and establishes a Medical Aid in Dying Ombudsman Program within the Department of Public Health to oversee compliance, investigate complaints, and operate a reporting hotline. Furthermore, the bill requires comprehensive reporting by physicians to the Department of Public Health, which will then publish annual statistical reports with de-identified data, prohibits the solicitation of medical aid in dying services, mandates specialized training for participating healthcare professionals on abuse prevention and disability-competent care, and ensures insurance coverage parity for hospice and palliative care while restricting insurer communications about medical aid in dying. Finally, it revises death certificate requirements to indicate when a qualified patient has self-administered medication for aid in dying, rather than omitting this information.

https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=3795&GAID=18&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=114&GA=104