BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
SB 1002 (Monning) - End of Life Option Act: telephone number
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|Version: April 5, 2016 |Policy Vote: HEALTH 7 - 2 |
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|Urgency: No |Mandate: No |
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|Hearing Date: April 25, 2016 |Consultant: Brendan McCarthy |
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This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill
Summary: SB 1002 would require the Department of Public Health
to establish a toll-free telephone line to respond to inquiries
regarding the End of Life Option Act.
Fiscal
Impact:
Unknown costs to operate a call center or contract for call
center services by the Department of Public Health (General
Fund). As discussed below, there are not likely to be a very
large number of calls from individuals who would qualify for a
prescription under the End of Life Option Act. However, it is
possible that the Department (or its call center agent) may
receive a significant number of calls from individuals who are
suicidal. The extent of that impact is unknown.
Background: Under the End of Life Option Act (AB X2 15, Eggman, Statues of
2015), competent adults are allowed to receive a prescription
for an aid-in-dying drug if specified conditions are met. The
End of Life Option Act does not require physicians or
SB 1002 (Monning) Page 1 of
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pharmacists to participate in the dispensing or prescribing of
aid-in-dying drugs nor does the Act require health plans or
health insurers to provide coverage for aid-in-dying drugs.
Under the Act, the Department of Public Health is required to
collect information on activity under the Act and report
publicly on use of the Act.
Proposed Law:
SB 1002 would require the Department of Public Health to
establish a toll-free telephone line to respond to inquiries
regarding the End of Life Option Act.
The Department would be required to respond to inquiries in
multiple languages. The Department is required to ensure that
the telephone line has a protocol for responding to callers in
crisis.
Staff
Comments: Overall participation under the End of Life Option
Act is not expected to be large. Based on a very similar program
in Oregon, and extrapolating for California's population size,
fewer than 1,000 people per year are likely to seek aid-in-dying
drugs under the bill. The number of calls to the required
toll-free line from terminally ill individuals seeking
information about access to aid-in-dying drugs or health care
coverage for related physician visits or prescriptions is not
likely to be very high.
However, it is possible that the toll-free line could receive a
significant number of calls from individuals who are not
terminally ill, but who may be suicidal. Call center staff would
need to assess such individuals and refer them to an appropriate
suicide prevention hotline or other mental health services, if
needed. There are about 3,500 suicides per year in the state. A
far larger number of individuals consider suicide and some
fraction of that population may end up calling the toll-free
line required in the bill. Staff assigned to answer calls on the
toll-free hotline will need to be adequately trained to handle
such calls and to make the appropriate connection to other
services.
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