Dear [Your Elected Official],

Terminally ill Ohioans need access to Medical Aid in Dying (MAID). Please support such legislation by sponsoring a bill.

Throughout my adult life, I have made critical decisions that have impacted my health and well-being. At the end of my life, I want access to high-quality hospice care AND Medical Aid in Dying. As your constituent, I urge you to propose and support MAID legislation.

It allows a mentally capable, terminally ill adult with less than six months to live to request and obtain a prescription from their doctor to end their life peacefully at the time and place of their choosing.

The bill includes a multi-step eligibility process and stringent safeguards that have proven effective. Currently, ten states and the District of Columbia allow access to Medical Aid in Dying. In the many years of experience with Medical Aid in Dying laws in these states, there have been no documented abuse cases.

This is very patient-directed. Only the patient can make the request, qualify for it, and decide if and when to use the prescription. Two doctors must verify a terminal diagnosis with less than six months to live, that the request is voluntary, and that the patient is mentally capable of making the decision. The person must also be able to take the medication on their own.

Doctors and pharmacists may opt not to participate, and patients may change their minds anytime. This option can be combined with hospice, and over 90% of people who have used these laws were also enrolled in hospice care.

Seven in ten Ohioans, including me, believe that terminally ill people should have the option of Medical Aid in Dying, according to a May 2018 survey of Ohio voters. Though these people want to live, this law would give them comfort and peace of mind when facing their imminent death. It's time for Ohio to have this legal option!

Information may be found on the Ohio End of Life Options website, OhioOptions.org.