Governor Schwarzenegger has signed a measure that supporters say will improve end-of-life care in California. The bill requires doctors upon request to tell terminally ill patients about all of their options. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has more.
The new law is the first of its kind in the nation.
Under the measure, doctors must inform dying patients about all of their legal end-of-life choices. These include hospice care, and a refusal of any life-prolonging treatments.
Lisa Marcolongo (mar-co-LON-go) is with the Elizabeth Hospice in Escondido. She says most dying Californians spend about 21 days in hospice, even though they're eligible for much longer stays.
Lisa Marcolongo : So what we're finding is that people still need education about what their options are. We want to see people take advantage of hospice six months before they're expected to pass away.
Starting next year, doctors who don't want to comply with a dying patient's choice must refer the patient to another provider.
Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.
