Medical Aid in Dying: The Facts, the Myths, and Why It's So Complicated

Yesterday, Ohio lawmakers introduced the Ohio Medical Aid in Dying Act.

As a death doula, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. And I have feelings about it. A lot of them. So let's talk.

First, what is Medical Aid in Dying?

Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) is not euthanasia. It is not a doctor administering a lethal injection. It is not someone making the decision for a patient.  This is the myth that has stopped this for far too long. 

MAID is the option for a terminally ill adult to request a prescription for medication they can choose to self-administer, on their own terms, at a time of their choosing. The key word there is choose. The patient decides. The patient acts. Nobody does it for them.

The Ohio bill would require two physicians to confirm a terminal diagnosis and that the patient has six months or less to live. Two doctors would have to approve both oral and written requests before a prescription could be filled. There are also built-in criminal penalties for fraud or coercion. This is not a casual process. The safeguards are real and deliberate.

What states already have this?

Washington D.C. and 13 states have already legalized medically assisted dying, and six in ten Americans say they don't morally object to it, according to a 2026 Pew Research analysis. Oregon has had it since 1997. The sky has not fallen. The data from those states consistently shows that the people who use MAID are not the vulnerable or the coerced. They are people who are already dying, who want some measure of control over how.

The myths worth addressing

"This is a slippery slope to euthanasia." The Ohio bill explicitly prohibits euthanasia, mercy killing, and lethal injection. Only terminally ill adults qualify. Disabilities, mental illness, dementia, and serious or chronic conditions would not qualify. The scope is narrow on purpose.

"Doctors will pressure vulnerable people." The opposite tends to be true. Most physicians who support MAID describe it as an extension of patient-centered care. The bill includes criminal penalties specifically for coercion.

"People will choose this instead of treatment." Research from states where MAID is legal shows that the vast majority of people who obtain the prescription never use it. The comfort of having the option is often enough.

Why it's still complicated

Here's where I want to be honest with you, because this topic deserves honesty more than it deserves a tidy conclusion.

MAID brings up enormous questions about suffering, about the role of medicine, about faith, about what a "good death" even means. People I deeply respect land on different sides of this. The opposition is not all bad faith. Some of it comes from a genuine, deeply held belief that life is sacred and that every moment of it matters, even the hard ones. You can disagree with that conclusion and still understand where it comes from.

Ohio's GOP-majority legislature is unlikely to bring the bill to a vote, so this conversation may be more symbolic than immediate. But symbolic conversations matter. They move the needle. They make space for people to think about what they actually believe before they're the one in the hospital bed.

Why I'm talking about this today

Because this is exactly the kind of conversation most people avoid until they can't anymore. Because I've sat with people who were terrified of how they would die, not of dying itself, but of the loss of control, the suffering, the indignity. Because I've also talked to people of deep faith who found meaning in every remaining moment, even the painful ones, and wouldn't have chosen differently.

Both of those are true. Both of those are human.

I had the privilege of talking with Lisa Vigil Schattinger, Executive Director of Ohio End of Life Options, on the podcast a while back. (If you haven't listened, here it is) She has dedicated her life to this issue and she is one of the clearest, most compassionate voices in the room.

This conversation is happening in Ohio now. I think we should be part of it.