Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)

Medical assistance in dying is allowed if a patient...

• is at least 18 years old,
• is capable of making health care decisions,
• has a grievous and irremediable medical condition,
• freely and voluntarily requests medical assistance in dying - the request cannot be the result of outside pressure or influence,
• gives informed consent to receive medical assistance in dying, and
• is covered by funded medical services.

A patient is considered to have a grievous and irremediable medical condition if they...

• have a serious illness, disease or disability,
• are in an advanced state of decline that cannot be reversed, and
• are in unbearable physical or mental pain from the illness, disease, disability or state of decline that cannot be relieved under conditions they consider acceptable.

If your only medical condition is a mental illness, you are not currently eligible for medical assistance. If you have a mental illness along with other medical conditions, you may be eligible for medical assistance in dying.

Patients seeking additional information about a medically assisted death can talk to a health care provider. Not all will be able to offer this service and some may choose not to offer this service. However, they all must arrange for timely access to information and resources upon request from the patient. An overview of the process is available from the Government of Saskatchewan.