Please read the entire letter!
Bishop Bonnici’s Letter to the Faithful
scMAiD Ethics Discussion at URMC
Dr. Carroll will be taking part in a discussion of the ethics of so-called Medical Aid in Dying (scMAid) at URMC. Please join us. This event will be in-person only and will not be recorded.
URMC Panel Discussion on scMAiD
scMAiD, Hospice, and Federal Funding
There has been a bit of a development in the ongoing saga of so-called Medical Aid in Dying (scMAiD) in NYS that should be more widely known.
As background, the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act of 1997 directs that Federal funds (including Medicare, Medicaid, and other Federal programs) cannot be used to pay for anything related to scMAiD. While there have been attempts to reverse this prohibition, these have thus far been unsuccessful.
The recent development is that on April 6, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a Request for Information Regarding Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) (scroll down to #3) to Hospice organizations in states where scMAiD is legal. This request does not (yet) apply to Hospices in NYS because, although the bill has been passed it has not yet take effect (which will happen in early August). This “request” is important, especially the following:
We wish to reiterate that no Medicare funds, including hospice payments, may be used to facilitate MAID, including physician consultation services, prescribing or dispensing of medications used for the purpose of causing death, or assistance with the ingestion of such medications. As such, we are also requesting information on any additional CMS oversight mechanisms that should be in place to safeguard the use of Federal funds for the provision of MAID items and services. We welcome any additional information regarding hospices’ experience with patients choosing to utilize MAID, with the expectation that hospice providers and staff are adhering to Federal law.
One could imagine some, even among those who categorically oppose scMAiD, seeing this as worrisome given that it could conceivably decrease/discourage Hospice use generally. In response to such concerns, it is worth pointing out the following…
First, from its inception, the philosophy of the modern Hospice movement has been to provide compassionate care for those approaching the end of their lives without(!) purposefully hastening that moment. As support for this:
To quote Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the first modern hospice, “You matter because of who you are. You matter to the last moment of your life, and we will do all we can, not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die.”
Second, suicide being an offense against God (and yes, scMAiD qualifies), there cannot be a “right” to this (or any other) sin. This is clearly true regardless of any specific undesirable consequence(s) that might result from acting in accord with this principle.
Ultimately, it is reassuring to see the Federal government looking to enforce the law in this regard and it will be interesting to see how NYS Hospices respond to this request.
Art of Dying and scMAiD @ St. Bernards
The Finger Lakes Guild is honored to co-sponsor this talk with St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry at their Rochester Campus. We hope to see you there!
Dr. Schultz will be discussing how society’s refusal to accept the limits of Medicine has led to Physician Assisted Suicide and euthanasia (aka scMAiD).
Click here for more info and to register!
See also St. Bernard’s Facebook page
Two (so-called) MAiD Events
We wanted to let you know know about two upcoming scMAiD events:
The first event will be at URMC
(see below for URMC map to Large Auditorium)
The second event will be from a Christian perspective and held in Corning, NY
URMC to Map Large Conference Room (2-6424)
Update on the so-called MAiD Law in New York State
Dr. Carroll will be joining (via video) Fr. Stephen Yusko, STL and the Albany Catholic Medical Guild with an update and recommendations regarding the soon-to-be available so-called Medical Aid in Dying (scMAiD). The focus of the evening will be on what physicians should know about the new New York State law legalizing scMAiD and how we might respond when this topic comes up, whether with patients or anyone else.
The Albany Guild has graciously opened to anyone who might be interested, so please join us for a short presentation followed by Q&A!
- Title: so-called Medical Aid in Dying in NY State: An update and reflections of a Catholic physician
- Date: May 13, 2026
- Time: 6:30pm to 7:30pm
- Zoom meeting link: 970 3862 0187
Update: Here’s the flyer from the Albany Guild
PAS/MAiD – So-Call Guardrails
Our Governor has provided a list of so-called Guardrails that she says are going to protect New Yorkers. Her public relations office tells us these will, “ensure that no patient was coerced into choosing medical aid in dying and that no health care professional or religiously affiliated health facility would be forced to offer medical aid in dying.”
Here is the list:
- A mandatory waiting period of 5 days between when a prescription is written and filled.
- An oral request by the patient for medical aid in dying must be recorded by video or audio.
- A mandatory mental health evaluation of the patient seeking medical aid in dying by a psychologist or psychiatrist.
- A prohibition against anyone who may benefit financially from the death of a patient from being eligible to serve as a witness to the oral request or an interpreter for the patient.
- Limiting the availability of medical aid in dying to New York residents.
- Requiring that the initial evaluation of a patient by a physician be in person.
- Allowing religiously-oriented home hospice providers to opt out of offering medical aid in dying.
- Ensuring that a violation of the law is defined as professional misconduct under the Education Law.
- Extending the effective date of the bill to six months after signing to allow the Department of Health to put into place regulations required to implement the law while also ensuring that health care facilities can properly prepare and train staff for compliance.
A few things to note here:
- What is the definition of “home hospice providers”? Is this referring to Hospice programs or individuals working for Hospice?
- What is the definition of “religiously-oriented”? What sort of proof will be required and who will be adjudicating this?
- How long will it be before these so-called guardrails start to be chipped away? This has happened in essentially every jurisdiction where PAS/MAiD has been legalized. Whether this occurs though legislative action, court decisions, or just lax enforcement of the law, it seems unlikely that this chipping away will not happen here in NY.
Although PAS/MAiD is now the law of the land in NY, please know that the Finger Lakes Guild is committed to supporting our community in the face of this moral atrocity.
The Finger Lakes Guild of the Catholic Medical Association is comprised of a dedicated group of Catholic physicians and healthcare professionals committed to upholding the dignity of every human life. In response to the legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide in New York State, we publicly affirm that under no circumstances will we participate in or support this practice. Guided by our Catholic faith and traditional, time-tested, medical ethics, we remain steadfast in providing compassionate, life-affirming care, respecting the inherent dignity of every patient entrusted to us.
We invite individuals, healthcare providers, faith communities, and organizations to partner with/contact us as we work to address the profound ethical and practical challenges posed by Governor Hochul’s decision to sign physician-assisted suicide into law. Together, we can ensure ongoing support, education, and compassionate alternatives that protect vulnerable patients and uphold the true purpose of medicine: healing and hope.
St. Luke, Pray for Us!
State-Sanctioned Suicide – On the Brink
As you likely have already heard, Gov. Hochul has expressed her intention to sign State-Sanctioned Suicide into law before the end of the year.
While it this seems, and may in fact be, inevitable at this point, it is not yet a done deal. So, please contact Gov. Hochul’s office TODAY to implore her to change course and spare New York from the scourge of State-Sanctioned Suicide!
Assisted Suicide – Please Help!
Two recent emails have prompted this post.
First, the Patients Rights Action Fund alerted us to the unfortunate news that the Illinois State Senate has, but a VERY narrow margin, passed a State-Sanctioned Suicide bill. As this was previously passed by their State House, it now goes to their Governor’s desk.
Second, Dr. Tim Millea from the CMA sent an email reminding us that unless Governor Hochul actively vetos the bill passed last Spring by both houses of the NY State Legislature…it will become law! Believe it or not, it seems that all she has to do is NOTHING and will be stuck (for all intents an purposes) FOREVER with the abomination that State-Sanctioned Suicide!
Please (PLEASE!) take a few moments to contact Governor Hochul and express your desire to see this bill vetoed before it’s too late!
You can contact here via this link.
While the website option is good, even better is a phone call (or two, or three…). You can reach her office at 1-518-474-8390 (office hours: 9:00am to 5:00pm).
Alternatively, you can send an ol’ fashioned (ideally hand-written) note via post to:
The Honorable Kathy Hochul
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
We’re running out time, so please contact the Governor ASAP!