About the Law

Overview Of The End of Life Option Act

The End of Life Option Act (ELOA) is a California law that permits terminally ill adult patients with capacity to make medical decisions to be prescribed an aid-in-dying medication if certain conditions are met. Signed into law by Governor Brown in October 2015, the law went into effect on June 9, 2016. California is the fifth state to enact an aid-in-dying law. Read the full bill language here.

The End of Life Option Act allows an adult diagnosed with a terminal disease, who meets certain qualifications, to request the aid-in-dying drugs from their attending physician.  The Act requires physicians to submit specified forms and information to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). CDPH will collect data from forms submitted by physicians.  Annual reports will be made pursuant to the Act and relevant privacy requirements.

Online Portal

The new End of Life Option Act (ELOA) form submission portal is now available online. This ELOA portal enables all of the required forms to be completed online, electronically signed and submitted directly to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). However, the original fillable forms can still be submitted to CDPH by mail, secure fax or secure e-mail.

To access the ELOA portal and complete the EOLA forms online please follow the instructions below:

  1. Click on the “Online Portal” link above
  2. Select “Create an Account”
  3. Select the tile labeled “Center for Health Statistics and Informatics”
  4. Select “Get Started”
  5. You may select the form that you want to complete by selecting “Apply”.  The first form that is required to be entered into the ELOA Portal is the Attending Physician Checklist & Compliance Form.

If you have any questions regarding the ELOA form submission portal you may contact the ELOA at EOLInfo@cdph.ca.gov.

Statute

Annual Report

 Additional Resources

LEGAL UPDATE:

June 15, 2018: UPDATE

A California appeals court has reinstated the End of Life Option Act law, ruling that it can remain in effect, at least temporarily, while opponents’ legal challenges are considered. This means that terminally-ill Californians who meet specific requirements can once again legally obtain life-ending medications while the case works its way through the courts.  

End of Life Choices California provides information and personal support regarding California’s End of Life Option Act and all other legal end-of-life options to the medical community and to the public.

End of life choices California


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