Patient Access to End of Life Care Act

HR 8137 would remove a 1997 federal restriction that blocks funding for medical aid-in-dying services. Starting January 1, 2025, it allows federal programs (like veterans' healthcare) to cover information, referrals, or care related to medical aid-in-dying in states that have legalized the practice. This directly affects terminally ill patients in states with existing laws (like Oregon, California, or Washington), enabling them to access federal-funded support for this option. The bill clarifies it does not change the definition of medical aid-in-dying as distinct from euthanasia or assisted suicide.