Essay On Right To Assisted Suicide

The right to assisted suicide in the United States is a controversial and significant topic that seems to concern people all throughout the country. The debate goes back and forth about whether a terminally ill patient has the right to decide to die with the assistance of a physician. Of course, several people are against it, more commonly because of religious, ethical or moral reasons. Many competent dying patients in extreme uncontrollable pain and suffering request their attending physician to assist them in performing active euthanasia. Euthanasia is “ a mode of ending life in which the intent is to cause the patient’s death in a single act (also called mercy killing)” Nordqvist. Some see it as murder, for others, however, euthanasia is the act of putting someone to death

Medical technology has failed to save lives because it does not always work. But, successful or not, medicine has a high cost. And this cost just keeps increasing. Sometimes the cost is too much for the patient’s family. For everyday a dying person is kept alive the hospital cost increase dramatically. Dr. Ira Byock stated, “It costs up to $10,000 a day to maintain someone in the intensive care unit. Some patients remain here for weeks or even months…(CBSNews)”. Being kept alive is expensive, there are only a few patients that are economically able to afford it and prolong the life that’s left in them. But, as for the not so affluent patients, the cost of trying to keep them alive is left to their families once they are gone. Knowing you’re leaving this world leaving your family in financial ruin is not by any means how someone should go in peace. These terminally ill patients whom have accepted their imminent death and wish to ease their suffering and their family from piling medical bills and financial burdens should have the option of assisted