Colorado loosened regulations on medical aid in dying, made a mental health program for teens permanent and increased the penalties on EpiPen manufacturers who don’t participate in an affordability program, among other changes to the health care landscape this legislative session. Gov. Jared Polis has signed , which shortened the waiting period for terminally ill people who wish to end their lives with a drug cocktail to seven days.
Under the previous law, people with less than six months to live had to request the medication twice, at least 15 days apart, before they could receive it. The law also will allow advanced practice registered nurses to prescribe the medication cocktail. APRNs can prescribe most other drugs.
The group Compassion and Choices called the bill an important step to increase access to end-of-life options, while that a shorter waiting period might lead people to decide to die before they have time to adjust to a diagnosis. A previous version of the bill would have shortened the waiting period to two days. A program that offers up to six free therapy sessions to Colorado youth will no longer have to go through reauthorization each year, after a new The legislature created I Matter in 2021, in response to widespread distress during the early phases of the pandemic.
Young people under 18, or people receiving special education services under 21, can request mental health services at . The Behavioral Health Administration reported 3,658 children and teens us.
