Catholic hospitals opt out of Colorado's assisted suicide law

Catholic hospitals in Colorado have refused to provide terminally ill patients with the option of physician-assisted suicide even though the practice was legalized in the state.

Proposition 106 or Medical Aid in Dying, which was passed by a two-thirds majority of Colorado voters in November, allows mentally capable patients to end their lives with the use of lethal medication prescribed by a doctor.

The law, which took effect last month, requires patients to be 18 years or older, have less than six months to live, be mentally competent and ask for aid in dying twice over 15 days, apart from a separate written request.

Two faith-based health care systems in the state have already expressed intentions to resist the law.

Centura Health, which is jointly operated by Catholic Health Initiatives and Adventist Health System, have stated that it would opt out of offering aid in dying. The said health system is reportedly the largest in Colorado, with 15 hospitals and more than 100 physician practices in clinics, according to STAT.

SCL Health, the second largest Catholic system, has released a statement declaring that any of its patients requesting aid in dying "will be offered an opportunity to transfer to another facility of the patient's choice." It currently runs seven hospitals and dozens of clinics.

HealthONE, a secular health system, has also decided that it won't provide life-terminating medications or allow its patients to take them on the premises of its eight hospitals. However, it would not impose similar restrictions on its physicians.

A provision in the aid-in-dying law allows health care systems to bar assisted suicide on its premises. Physicians, nurses and pharmacists also have the option not to participate in the practice.

However, the Colorado law states that health systems are not allowed to prohibit its doctors from discussing end-of-life options with patients or writing prescriptions to be taken off-site. The provision was made to prevent health systems from blocking access to assisted dying.

Advocates of the assisted suicide law have suggested that the Catholic systems may be testing the limits of the provision.

"From what we've seen, it appears that Centura's and SCL's policies go beyond what is allowed under the law," said Kat West, national director of policy and programs for Compassion & Choices. She also noted that a legal challenge is "a distinct possibility."