For several years, the assisted suicide lobby has been promoting the use of telehealth for approving lethal drug cocktails for assisted suicide.

We understand the need to improve telehealth services but assisting a suicide is not medical treatment and it is not a form of healthcare.

On May 19, the Hospice News reported that bills to extend the use of telehealth beyond the COVID-19 pandemic were introduced in the House and Senate.

The bills are US Senate Bill S. 1512 and Congress Bill H.R. 2903.

Our primary concerns of the bill relate to the language in Section (101) which is titled: Expanding the use of telehealth through the waiver of requirements and Section (102) Removing geographical requirements for telehealth services.

The language of these bills need to clearly prohibit assisted suicide by telehealth. If not, these bills will permit assisted suicide by telehealth in states where assisted suicide is legal and possibly nationally by doctors approving and prescribing for out-of-state assisted suicides.

Imprecise language within the legislation may enable assisted suicide doctors to do assisted suicide assessments and prescribe lethal assisted suicide drugs, without meeting or physically assessing the person and without examining the patient to confirm the medical diagnosis.

Medical misdiagnosis is also an important issue. Data indicates that 12 million Americans are affected by medical misdiagnosis each year and 40,000 to 80,000 Americans die annually from medical misdiagnosis.

Healthcare regulation and terminology must not permit approving and/or prescribing assisted suicide by telehealth.

S. 1512 and H.R. 2903 must be amended to include clear language preventing assisted suicide by telehealth.

More Information:

Opposing assisted suicide by telehealth (Link).

Assisted suicide by telehealth and medical misdiagnosis (Link).

Doctors now assist suicides via zoom (Link).

S. 1512 Connect for Health Act of 2021 (Link).