Freedom to Die Death is a waiting game that no one truly knows when it will occur. With physician assisted suicide that waiting game is not an obstacle to terminally ill patients. “Physician-assisted suicide is the practice of providing a competent patient with a prescription for medication for the patient to use with the primary intention of ending his or her own life” (MedicineNet). In 1997 the United States Supreme Court ruled that physician assisted suicide is not a constitutional right; changing their ruling in 2006 the court decided that the choice should be up to the states (Pickert). This is giving terminally ill Americans the right to their lives. Many would say that physician assisted suicide is doctors breaking all ethical rules
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“Ira Byock, told 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft it costs up to $10,000 a day to maintain someone in the intensive care unit” (Court). Patients who live with a terminal illness are faced with thousands of bills to cover their medical expenses. In the article “The Cost of Dying” it goes into detail about patients who was receiving end of life care. “The real problem is that many of the patients that are being treated aggressively, if you ask them, they would prefer less aggressive care. They would prefer to be cared for at home. They 'd prefer to go to hospice. If they were given a choice. But we don 't adequately give them a choice," (Court). More aggressive care means more money, at the end of Meredith Snedeker’s mothers life she received $40,000 worth of care within two months. Luckily Medicare and the U.S. Government typically covers medical bills with no questions asked after a patient passes away. But just imagine the stress and financial burden these medical bills put on patients and their families If physician assisted suicide was legal in all fifty states America would be giving the absolute freedom to terminally-ill patients. The freedom to choose what he or she would like to do with their final days on Earth. The people of America need to that their morals out of the government and allow citizens to have rights. The U.S. Constitution gives citizens the right to vote, the American people are able to have freedom of religion, why can they not have the freedom to end their own life if they are terminally-ill? Patients who meet the criteria deserve to choose how they want to live their life. Especially if they are already contemplating suicide they should be able to end their life safely under the care of a physician to ensure if they do live there will be no complications. Patients deserve to die peacefully and should not have to be in pain any longer. Physicians who are helping
“Ira Byock, told 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft it costs up to $10,000 a day to maintain someone in the intensive care unit” (Court). Patients who live with a terminal illness are faced with thousands of bills to cover their medical expenses. In the article “The Cost of Dying” it goes into detail about patients who was receiving end of life care. “The real problem is that many of the patients that are being treated aggressively, if you ask them, they would prefer less aggressive care. They would prefer to be cared for at home. They 'd prefer to go to hospice. If they were given a choice. But we don 't adequately give them a choice," (Court). More aggressive care means more money, at the end of Meredith Snedeker’s mothers life she received $40,000 worth of care within two months. Luckily Medicare and the U.S. Government typically covers medical bills with no questions asked after a patient passes away. But just imagine the stress and financial burden these medical bills put on patients and their families If physician assisted suicide was legal in all fifty states America would be giving the absolute freedom to terminally-ill patients. The freedom to choose what he or she would like to do with their final days on Earth. The people of America need to that their morals out of the government and allow citizens to have rights. The U.S. Constitution gives citizens the right to vote, the American people are able to have freedom of religion, why can they not have the freedom to end their own life if they are terminally-ill? Patients who meet the criteria deserve to choose how they want to live their life. Especially if they are already contemplating suicide they should be able to end their life safely under the care of a physician to ensure if they do live there will be no complications. Patients deserve to die peacefully and should not have to be in pain any longer. Physicians who are helping