News Attorney General and Health Secretary propose to delay eligibility for Medicaid upon death of people with mental illness alone

idman24February 2, 2023

31 4 minutes read

ottawa, February 2, 2023 /CNW/ – Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) is a complex and deeply personal issue.government Canada Committed to ensuring our laws reflect the needs of Canadians, protect vulnerable groups, and support autonomy and freedom of choice.

under Canadian Under current MAID law, only persons with a mental illness who meet all eligibility criteria and meet all applicable safeguards will be eligible for MAID March 17, 2023. However, today, the Honorable Minister David Lametti, justice and attorney general CanadaDear Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos, Caroline BennettThe Minister of Mental Health and Addiction and Deputy Health Secretary, proposed legislation to extend the temporary exclusion from MAID eligibility if a person’s only medical condition is a mental illness until March 17, 2024.

The proposed one-year extension would provide additional time to prepare for safe and consistent assessment and delivery of MAID if the person’s only underlying medical condition is a psychiatric disorder, and allow time to consider the final report of the MAID Special Joint Committee, expected at February 2023.

At the same time, the government Canada We will continue to work closely with the provinces, territories and the medical community to finalize and disseminate key resources. The primary purpose of the proposed extension is to allow additional time to ensure that MAID assessors and providers are ready to evaluate MAID requests for individuals with only mental illness in a safe and consistent manner. Canada By the end of the proposed extension.

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“There is no question that end-of-life medical assistance is a very complex and very personal issue. We strongly believe in the proposed one-year extension until March 17, 2024, temporarily excluding people whose only medical condition is a mental illness from eligibility, will provide enough time to ensure our health care system protects those who may be vulnerable and supports autonomy and freedom of choice. “

Dear David Lametti, PC, KC, MP
minister justice and attorney general Canada

“Because MAID is a deeply personal and complex issue, the temporary extension will allow more time for regulators, clinicians, and others to better understand and implement guidelines and practices. This extension will protect the most vulnerable while support their autonomy and ensure assessors and providers are ready and willing to support people with mental illness when MAID is available.”

His Excellency Jean-Yves Duclos
Sanitation Committee

“The safety and security of Canadians, including the most vulnerable, remains at the core of our actions, while supporting individual autonomy. Canadians can rest assured that we are taking a careful and thoughtful approach to implementing MAID for those living with mental illness .”

Sir Caroline Bennett
minister of mental health and addictions and deputy health minister

Quick Facts

exist March 17, 2021, the revised legislation on MAID (formerly Bill C-7) received Royal Assent and became law. The former Bill C-7 expanded MAID eligibility to individuals whose death could not reasonably have been foreseen and enhanced protections for these applicants.With these changes, individuals whose only medical condition is mental illness and meet all eligibility criteria are not eligible for MAID until March 17, 2023. The purpose of this temporary exclusion is to provide the government Canada The time has come to consider the conclusions and recommendations of the Expert Panel on Maids and Mental Illness, and the findings of the Parliamentary Special Joint Committee on Maids.
exist December 15, 2022minister justice and attorney general CanadaMinister of Health, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction and Deputy Health Minister announced that the government Canadian Intends to legislate in early 2023 to expand the temporary exclusion of eligibility for people with only mental illness to March 17, 2023. Bill C-39 was introduced in response to this commitment.
exist May 13, 2022government Canada Bring the final report of the Expert Panel on Maids and Mental Illness to Parliament. The report made 19 recommendations for a maid system to address problems that may arise in some maid requests, particularly where the person requesting the maid’s natural death could not reasonably have been foreseen. This includes the effects of irreversibility, irreversibility, competence, suicidality, and structural vulnerability (structural vulnerability is the relationship between a person’s sex, gender, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, or Effects of interaction between status) society).
exist June 22, 2022Since then, the Parliamentary Select Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in the End of Life has released an interim report on maids and mental illness. The Special Joint Committee heard from a variety of expert witnesses, including legal experts, palliative care providers, maid practitioners, doctors, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, and the Chair of the Independent Expert Panel on Maids and Mental Illness.
The parliamentary special joint committee on MAID’s final report is expected to February 17, 2023, and may provide additional insight into MAID requests in complex situations, including for people whose only medical condition is mental illness. The proposed extension would allow time for consideration of this final report.
exist March 2023, MAID Practice Standards will be ready for adoption by health professions regulators and clinicians.government Canada An expert task force has been appointed to work with provincial and territorial governments, regulators and clinicians across the region to develop these MAID practice standards Canada.
government Canada Also supported the development of an accredited Canadian MAID curriculum to support clinician education and training. The course will consist of seven modules, including a module on housemaids and mental disorders.The start of the module will be in Fall 2023with the aim of delivering all modules by the end of 2023.