Assemblyman Will Barclay’s Recent Op-Ed

Assemblyman Will Barclay recently took aim at Governor Hochul for signing the “Medical Aid in Dying Act,” legislation passed by the New York State Legislature. In his opening statement, he writes that “the purpose of health care is to preserve life and to provide the utmost comfort and care to patients who are at the end of their lives.” What he fails to acknowledge is the critical distinction at the heart of this bill: it allows patients, together with their families and caregivers, to make decisions based on quality of life, not simply the preservation of life at all costs.

The Assemblyman’s criticism rings hollow when he suggests that supporters of this legislation acted at the expense of strengthening palliative care, expanding mental health services, or improving access to end?of?life resources. Assemblyman Barclay has not sponsored legislation addressing any of these areas, making his argument more rhetorical than substantive.

He also claims the bill lacks crucial safeguards, while ignoring the many guardrails that were negotiated and added before the bill was signed into law. These include:

• A mandatory five?day waiting period between when a prescription is written and when it may be filled.
• A requirement that a patient’s oral request for medical aid in dying be recorded by video or audio.
• A mandatory mental health evaluation by a psychologist or psychiatrist.
• A prohibition on anyone who may benefit financially from a patient’s death serving as a witness or interpreter.
• Limiting eligibility for medical aid in dying to New York residents.
• Requiring that a physician’s initial evaluation of a patient be conducted in person.

Assemblyman Barclay owes his constituents a full and honest accounting of the legislation he critiques. Cherry?picking may serve a political narrative, but it does not serve the people of Oswego County.

Paul McKinney

Phoenix, NY

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