Index
Colorado End of Life Options Act
Summary
Colorado allows terminally ill, mentally capable adults to request and self-administer life-ending medication from their doctor to die peacefully on their own terms.
Rights & Rules
- 01.You must be a Colorado resident, 18 or older, and mentally capable of making and communicating healthcare decisions.
- 02.Two different doctors must confirm that you have a terminal illness with a prognosis of six months or less to live.
- 03.You must make two separate oral requests to your doctor (at least 15 days apart) and one written request.
- 04.You MUST be able to self-administer (take) the medication yourself. A doctor, nurse, or family member cannot administer it to you.
Penalties
- 01.Anyone who alters or forges a request for medication, or coerces a patient into requesting it, is guilty of a Class 2 felony.
- 02.Doctors are not required to participate in this program if they have moral or religious objections.
Verified Citations
Colorado Revised Statutes Title 25, Article 48
Source"An adult who is capable, who has a terminal illness, and who has voluntarily expressed the wish to die, may make a written request for medical aid-in-dying medication..."