Largest U.S. non-profit hails Alaska House nod to medical aid in dying

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- America's largest non-profit organization advocating patients' rights Tuesday hailed a legislation by an Alaska House committee that endorsed medical aid in dying in the country's northwesternmost state.

Compassion & Choices, working to improve care and expand options at the end of life, praised the End-of-Life Option Act approved by Alaska House Health & Social Services Committee as a "compassionate legislation".

"We are thrilled that the House Health & Social Services Committee voted to approve this important end-of-life option," said Joe Barnes, regional campaign manager for the non-profit, adding that the organization will continue to build support for the legislature.

Medical aid in dying is an option for terminally ill but mentally capable adult residents facing death within six months to get prescription medication to peacefully end their unbearable suffering.

"This law would simply give a compassionate end-of-life care option to those who face suffering in their final days," an official with a regional action team for Compassion & Choices said.

The bill will now move forward to the House Judiciary Committee. It will take effect on Jan. 1, 2019 after final approval by the state legislature.

A survey conducted in Alaska in 2017 showed that 70 percent of Alaskans supported medically-aided death in case a person was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given less than six months to live by at least two physicians.

If Alaska enacts the medical aid-in-dying legislation into law, it would join six other U.S. states, namely Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont, California and Colorado, as well as the District of Columbia in authorizing this end-of-life care option. Enditem