RFK Jr. Urged to Increase Oversight of Physician-Assisted Suicide

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A bipartisan, bicameral group of U.S. lawmakers has urged Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish stronger oversight of physician-assisted suicide practices within hospice programs, citing concerns about informed consent, discrimination, and protections for vulnerable patients.

Sens. James Lankford (R-OK), and Tim Kaine (D-VA), along with Reps. Greg Murphy (R-NC) and Lou Correa (D-CA), sent a letter to RFK Jr. and CMS officials requesting reporting requirements to monitor physician-assisted suicide for potential discrimination against people with disabilities, older adults, and others considered vulnerable. The lawmakers noted that many patients receiving physician-assisted suicide are enrolled in hospice care, creating a need for additional federal oversight.

The letter stated that, “Physician-assisted suicide raises significant informed consent issues as well as concerns about disability and age discrimination.” The lawmakers urged HHS and CMS to ensure hospice patients receive care free from pressure or unequal treatment.

All hospice patients—regardless of disability, age or financial means—deserve compassionate end-of-life care that is free of coercion and discrimination.

Sen. Lankford said hospice should remain a place of compassion and comfort rather than an environment where patients feel pressured to end their lives. Sen. Kaine emphasized that patients making end-of-life decisions should be protected from discrimination and coercion.

The lawmakers also pointed to the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act of 1997, which prohibits federal funding for assisted suicide, and asked RFK Jr. and CMS to oversee compliance with those restrictions. They further cited concerns raised by disability rights organizations regarding the potential impact of assisted suicide laws on vulnerable populations.

Previously, the UOJ reported that a U.S. health official criticized Canada’s assisted suicide-organ donation link.