What Have We Learned From 10 Years of Medical Aid in Dying in CA?

California’s End of Life Option Act, which allows people with certain terminal illnesses and a life expectancy of less than six months to receive medication that ends their life, turns 10 this month. Yet despite polling showing the policy is popular, access remains complicated and controversial, and few eligible patients actually pursue the option. We’ll discuss how the program has worked in California and examine the shifting national support for medical aid-in-dying policies. Guests: Paula Span, adjunct professor, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism; writes the New Old Age column, a co-production of The New York Times and KFF Health News Dr. Lonny Shavelson, physician and director of education, Academy of Aid-in-Dying Medicine; medical doctor who's provided aid-in-dying care for 7 years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can listen to What Have We Learned From 10 Years of Medical Aid in Dying in CA? online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

What Have We Learned From 10 Years of Medical Aid in Dying in CA? is an episode from KQED's Forum by KQED.

This episode is 54:44 long.

This episode was published on Jun 4, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from KQED's Forum when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.