News Briefs – OCTOBER 2023
by Loren Talbot
Doula Sues for Freedom of Speech
Lauren Richwine, death doula and owner of Death Done Differently, received a cease-and-desist order in January 2023 after an unnamed complainant reached out to the Indiana attorney general’s office regarding her right to practice. The order stated she could continue if she obtained her funeral director license and a funeral home license. This led to the closure of Lauren’s business. In August, the State Board of Funeral and Cemetery Service applied a gag order demanding that she stop speaking with other adults about deathcare. She has now taken action in the form of a lawsuit in federal court claiming that state officials violated her right to free speech.
MAiD New Jersey Residency Law Challenged
Compassion & Choices filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Delaware and Pennsylvania residents living with cancer and two New Jersey doctors. The suit states that the residency mandate that allows only New Jersey residents access to the state’s medical aid in dying program violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal treatment. The suit asks the U.S. District Court in Camden, New Jersey, to prohibit state officials and the county prosecutor from enforcing this unconstitutional provision of the law. According to the article, this lawsuit is the third in the nation to challenge a medical aid in dying law’s residency requirement. Oregon and Vermont have removed the residency requirement following legal challenges by Compassion & Choices.
Inequities in Palliative Care for Metastatic Breast Cancer
At this September’s American Association for Cancer Research conference, a report was released regarding disparities in palliative care over the past 15 years. The study showed that palliative care use increased significantly over time, from 14.9% in 2004 to 27.6% in 2020. But non-white patients were less likely to receive it: Non-Hispanic Black patients were 13% less likely, Asian or Pacific Islander were 26% less likely, and Hispanic patients were 35% less likely. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s guidelines state that all individuals should be screened for palliative care and that families and caregivers should be informed about the integral care. Study author Jincong Freeman, MPH, MS, states, “It is essential to identify the needs of these patients, particularly racial/ethnic minority populations, and evaluate how oncology programs can integrate palliative care early into the cancer care continuum while ensuring equitable access.”