A group of medical professionals, a nursing home and a Catholic bishop from Illinois are suing two state department heads in an attempt to block a law set to take effect next month they say forces doctors to promote assisted suicide to terminally ill patients.
The law set to take effect Sept. 12, known as the End-of-Life Options Act, gives terminally ill patients with less than six months to live the choice to end their life medically, but only after they meet multiple requirements and pass medical evaluations.
The plaintiffs and the Thomas More Society, a nonprofit law firm, are challenging the law on religious grounds in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Illinois, according to the filing.
Dr. Mary Keen, a physiatrist with Northwestern Medicine, is one of four doctors listed on the lawsuit.
Michael McHale, senior counsel, said the Illinois law differs from medical aid in dying laws in other states because it requires some medical practices to offer the option.
They contend that the law forces faith-based hospitals in the state to take part in administering the option, even if it goes against their beliefs and medical understanding.
McHale noted a similar law in the state requiring medical professionals to explain the benefits of treatment options they disagree with was recently blocked from taking effect, pending another legal challenge.
He said the other lawsuit provides a similar example to their own.
Story from Illinois Radio Network
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