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California’s End of Life Option Act (EOLOA) enables you to choose Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) if you meet the requirements. In this section we answer questions you may have when deciding about MAiD. EOLCCA is here to guide you along the way!
This section includes information on the following topics:
Lays out the basic process required by the law and makes each step clear. Learn more here.
Learn about attending physicians, consulting physicians, and mental health specialists and their roles in providing MAiD to you. Learn more here.
An advance health care directive is a legally-recognized document you write to specify your values, wishes, and choices about future medical procedures and medication you do and don’t want to receive if you are unable to speak for yourself. It may include other preferences such as organ donation, burial, etc. It is important to share your advance health care directive with key people in your life, including your physician and healthcare system, to improve the chances they will honor your wishes. Learn more here.
Describes what your doctor is required to do, even if they are unwilling to fulfill your request. Lets you know what your rights are. Learn more here.
Answers questions about where you can be, restrictions that your living facility can impose, who can help you, and your helpers’ legal risks. Learn more here.
Describes the protections the law provides for you if you choose MAiD. Learn more here.
In 2016, California took a significant step forward in compassionate end-of-life care with the enactment of the California End of Life Option Act (EOLOA). This law offers eligible Californians the option to access MAiD, under specific and carefully regulated conditions and has been amended several times.
Subsequent key amendments and improvements to the original 2016 EOLOA became effective on January 1, 2022. These include: the waiting period required between the patient’s two oral requests is significantly reduced from 2 weeks to 48 hours, and healthcare systems and hospices are expected to post their aid-in-dying policies on their websites. The amendment also clarified that MAiD medication can be taken within specified healthcare facilities.
Under the law, if a terminally-ill patient requests MAID and their physician does not wish to participate, the state of California does not require doctors to participate in MAiD if they choose not to due to religious convictions or professional ethics. In further clarification due to a court ruling, as of May 2023, the physician may document the request to start the process for the patient; however, this is not a requirement.
A welcome new amendment to the original law was passed October 3, 2025 which removes the original 2031 sunset clause altogether, making the law permanent.
For comprehensive EOLOA information and statistics visit the CDPH.
📞 Call us: 760-636-8009
📧 Email us: info@endoflifechoicesca.org
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