Americans Are Traveling to Vermont and Oregon To Commit State-Assisted Suicide

At least 26 people have traveled to Vermont for the purpose of medically assisted death, accounting for nearly 25 percent of the state’s reported assisted deaths from May 2023 through June 2024, according to data from the Vermont Department of Health.

Similarly, in Oregon, 23 out-of-state residents utilized medical assistance to end their lives in 2023, as reported by the Oregon Health Authority, CBS News reports.

In a significant policy shift, Vermont lifted its residency requirement in May 2023, followed by Oregon two months later. Montana allows aid in dying through a 2009 court decision, though the ruling does not specify residency rules. Recent legislative efforts in New York and California to permit out-of-state residents to access aid in dying did not pass.

During the 2023-24 legislative sessions, 19 states, including Pennsylvania, considered aid-in-dying legislation, according to Compassion & Choices. Delaware was the only state to pass such legislation, though it awaits the governor’s action.

Despite logistical challenges, such as finding doctors in a new state and traveling when severely ill, dozens of terminally ill nonresidents have made their way to Vermont and Oregon to die. Both states require patients to be assessed by two doctors, have a prognosis of less than six months to live, be mentally and cognitively sound, and be physically able to ingest the lethal drugs.

CEO of Death With Dignity, Peg Sandeen, noted that these restrictions are intended as safeguards to balance patient rights with legislative concerns. However, she told CBS that “such rules create undue burdens for people who are already suffering.”