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U.S. NEWS Thursday 8 March 2018

American Living:

US law poses dilemma for dying vets seeking lethal drugs

By JULIE WATSON and no federal funds can ing the issue. The Supreme home or another facility. letter sent to CalVet in
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Suffer- be used. Montana's state Court has left it to states to "The safety and support October, said he believes
ing from heart problems, Supreme Court ruled in enact legislation permitting of our veterans is our No. there are ways the homes
Bob Sloan told his children can get around the federal
he wants to use Califor- restrictions.
nia's new law allowing life- "It is an inhumane act be-
ending drugs for the ter- cause these people, if
minally ill when his disease they're at such a point of
becomes too advanced to considering ending their
bear. life, they are not in a posi-
But then the 73-year-old tion to go through the me-
former U.S. Army sergeant chanics of disenrolling to
learned that because he check out of here," said the
lives at the Veterans Home 82-year-old who served in
of California at Yountville — the Air Force.
the nation's largest retire- Advocate Kathryn Tucker,
ment home for veterans — of the End of Life Liberty
he must first move out. Project, said many states
Veterans in government- are interpreting the feder-
run homes in many parts al restrictions too broadly.
of the country that have The 1997 law does not bar
legalized physician-assisted such deaths from occurring
death, including Colorado, on the premises of state
Vermont and Washington, homes if no federal funds
D.C., are finding similar re- are spent.
strictions because assisted She is considering legal
suicide goes against the action if CalVet's regula-
policy of the U.S. Depart- In this Feb. 23, 2018 photo Air Force veteran Ed Warren, 82, and his wife, Jac Warren, 81, pose for tion remains. Nationwide,
ment of Veterans Affairs. a photo while visiting San Diego, to attend the Democrats' annual convention and talk to law- only one veteran in a state
Veterans like Sloan say relo- makers. The couple is voicing opposition to a regulation that requires veterans in state homes to home is known to have re-
cating would cause undue be discharged before they can use a new state law allowing physician-assisted deaths for the quested lethal medication.
terminally ill.
hardship during an already (AP Photo by Julie Watson) He died at a veteran home
painful time. Veterans liv- in Washington state in 2015.
ing at the Yountville home California requires patients
raised the issue in recent 2009 that doctors could or prohibiting physician-as- 1 priority, and we cannot make an oral and written
weeks with California law- use a patient's request for sisted deaths. implement policies or pro- request for a prescription
makers, and one organiza- life-ending medication as After California's law took grams that could result in for life-ending drugs to their
tion is considering taking le- a defense against criminal effect in 2016, California's California losing vital feder- primary doctors. Two doc-
gal action if the regulation charges. Department of Veterans Af- al funding for our veterans," tors must determine if the
stays in place. Opponents say the option fairs, or CalVet, mandated CalVet Secretary Dr. Vito patient has fewer than six
"I should be able to die could lead to hasty deci- the discharge of residents Imbasciani said in an email months to live.
peacefully in my home, sions, misdiagnosis and co- intending to consume to The Associated Press. The state requires the per-
and this is my home," Sloan ercion. medication to achieve Funds from the VA account son be able to administer
said of Yountville, where he Regardless of state laws, a peaceful death and for more than half of the the drugs themselves with-
has lived since 2013. "If I'm in the 1997 Assisted Suicide barred any employees, operating budget for Cal- out help. A common drug
that state or condition, why Funding Restriction Act independent contractors Vet's eight live-in care facil- used for such purposes,
should I be forced to move passed by Congress pro- or anyone else from par- ities, which serve more than secobarbital, can run up to
to make use of what has hibits the use of federal ticipating in any activities 2,600 people. $5,000 for a lethal dose.
been changed into law? It funds for assisted suicides, under the End of Life Op- After veterans at the Yount- Tucker recently gave a talk
just doesn't make sense." Veterans Affairs spokesman tion Act while on the prem- ville home and advocates to a small group at Yount-
Doctors also can legally Curt Cashour said. The VA ises of one of its homes. If a for the end-of-life option ville, but the home would
prescribe lethal medica- provides many state homes veteran decides not to go sent a letter protesting the not allow the in-house TV
tion for terminally ill pa- with money for veterans' through with it, the person discharge policy, CalVet station to air the presenta-
tients in Oregon and Wash- care, including the doctors. will be re-admitted immedi- officials promised to look tion to its more than 900
ington. Veteran homes in It leaves it to states to de- ately. into the matter. But so far, residents. "If you live in a
those states do not require cide their own regulations It also promises, like in other they have not proposed a state facility, you should
the person be discharged regarding the homes. states that require veterans solution. not be disallowed from
to take the drugs, though The funding restriction act is move first, to assist them in Yountville resident Ed War- taking advantage of state
staff cannot be involved, the only federal law regard- transferring to hospice, a ren, who signed a protest legislation."q