The core eligibility criteria for U.S. medical aid-in-dying laws, which prohibit euthanasia, have remained the same since Oregon implemented the nation’s first medical aid-in-dying law in 1997.

To be eligible for aid-in-dying medication in U.S. authorized jurisdictions, an individual must meet all four criteria, including being

1. An adult (aged 18 or older);

2. Terminally ill with a prognosis of six months or less to live;

3. Mentally capable of making their own healthcare decisions; and

4. Able to self-ingest the medication.

The U.S. public consistently supports medical aid in dying by large majorities across

demographic, geographic, political, and religious spectrums.

U.S. laws differ significantly from Canadian law. In Canada, euthanasia is allowed by law.

Furthermore, in Canada, the definitions for medical aid in dying, the legal landscape, and the

healthcare system and quality of care are not the same.

Current U.S. medical aid in dying practice do not support or encompass euthanasia. Euthanasia, which requires a third party to administer medication, commonly via injection, is illegal throughout the United States.

The New York Alliance for Medical Aid in Dying supports medical aid in dying as currently authorized in the U.S.