End of Suffering Act would give seriously ill patients the right to seek relief of pain and other end-of-life treatment

Washington, D.C. (MNS) – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., has introduced the End of Suffering Act, which would allow individuals suffering from an advanced illness with intolerable pain or terminal illness to receive medication for the relief of pain and other end-of-life treatment to minimize suffering, the Compton Herald has learned.

“People suffering intolerable pain deserve autonomy in their health care decisions,” Boxer said. “This bill will protect the values and interests of patients and protect the physicians who treat them with compassion.”

The End of Suffering Act states that no federal or state law or action can restrict the right of an adult to receive medication and treatments from physicians for the relief of pain, when suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition. The law would apply to instances where pain is intolerable and general functioning has declined to an extreme extent.

Further, the legislation protects physicians who treat patients in these extreme circumstances from liability as long as the patient’s informed consent is obtained under guidelines issued by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

In the 21st century, no individual should be left to suffer in extreme pain, Boxer said.

“Yet research has shown that the number of people experiencing pain in the last year of life increased by nearly 12 percent between 1998 and 2010,” she said. “By enacting the End of Suffering Act, Congress can ensure that Americans are treated for severe pain in a dignified manner.”