Dr. Cindy Cain's research offers insight into California's aid-in-dying law

A study led by Dr. Cindy Cain, FSPH assistant professor of health policy and management, suggests that the passing of California's aid-in-dying law will not disproportionately affect the poor or vulnerable groups. 

Source: San Jose Mercury News

Date: Wednesday, June 8, 2016


From the San Jose Mercury News:

“When Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB 15 known as the aid-in-dying bill in October, his signature made California the fifth state in the nation to have such a law. But a recent UCLA study found that months later, California physicians still had questions about it. In addition, some organizations were worried that the medically vulnerable, such as the very poor, those on public insurance or low-income minorities would be coerced into choosing to end their own lives instead of receiving palliative care.

Those fears were unsubstantiated in a recently released study conducted by UCLA professor Cindy Cain with the department of health policy and management.

Cain found that in states such as Oregon, which began implementing the law in 1997, the number of those who died with prescription assistance rose gradually each year, from less than 20 in 1998 to 105 in 2015. Most of those who chose to end their lives were 65 and older, white, had some college education, and more than 60 percent of them had private insurance.

The data doesn't support the idea that the passing of the aid-in-dying law will disproportionately affect the poor or vulnerable groups, Cain said.”

Read the full article from San Jose Mercury News