On March 17, 2021 new MAID legislation came into effect. Some of the key changes include:
Eligibility Criteria:
- Persons requesting MAiD have a grievous and irremediable medical condition remains in the legislation.
- “Reasonable foreseeability of natural death” criterion has been repealed.
- Eligibility for persons suffering solely from mental illness is temporarily excluded until March 17, 2023.
Safeguards & Consent:
- Safeguards have been separated into two tracks based on whether the person’s natural death is reasonably foreseeable.
- Safeguards have been eased for eligible persons whose death is reasonably foreseeable. This includes the possible waiver of final consent for eligible persons under certain circumstances.
- Safeguards have been added and/or strengthened for eligible persons whose death is not reasonably foreseeable. Final consent for this group must be provided by the person immediately before administration of MAiD.
Data Collection and Monitoring:
- All assessments (not only referrals) for MAiD are required to be reported to better capture who is requesting MAiD across the country.
The Government of Canada website includes the updated information and other resources related to the changes to the MAiD law. CRNS MAiD resources are being updated to reflect the changes and will be shared once complete.
If you have questions, please contact an CRNS Practice Advisor by phone at 1.800.667.9945 or 306.359.4227 or by email practiceadvice@crns.ca.