November 11, 2009 - The Matters of Life & Death Scholarship Writing Contest is now accepting applications from high school juniors and seniors in California. The contest, designed to help students develop awareness of the aid in dying movement, ask students to write an essay based on: Why should California pass a law to establish aid in dying for terminally-ill patients who are suffering at the end of their lives? Students have the opportunity to win up to $1,000 for college. For contest rules and to find out more details, visit our guidelines page at www.compassionandchoicesnca.org/essay.php or email admin@compassionandchoicesnca.org. The deadline for submission is June 1, 2010.

August 14, 2009 - As the health insurance reform debate garners nationwide attention, opponents of end-of-life choice have launched a misinformation campaign to undermine a key provision of health care reform. We encourage you to separate fact from fiction by checking out the following news clippings: "Cruel rumors about 'death panels' have no place in health care debate", Northern California Jewish Weekly, September 3, 2009 One of the unfortunate fallouts of President Barack Obama's health proposal has been the rumor that it would promote government-sponsored "death panels" -- a sinister group that would decide which patients are worthy of living.  READ MORE "At the End, Offering Not a Cure but Comfort", The New York Times, August 20, 2009 This is the third article in a series on the promises and challenges of extending, or ending, the lives of very ill patients.  READ MORE "Study: End-of-life advice aids terminally ill", The San Francisco Chronicle, August 19, 2009 As a political uproar rages over end-of-life counseling, a new study finds offering such care to dying cancer patients improves their mood and quality of life.  READ MORE  "False 'Death Panel' Rumor Has Some Familiar Roots", The New York Times, August 13, 2009 The stubborn yet false rumor that President Obama's health care proposals would create government-sponsored "death panels" to decide which patients were worthy of living seemed to arise from nowhere in recent weeks.  READ MORE "Opponents Distort Health Care Debate", Compassion & Choices New legislation will empower - not force - seniors to talk with their doctors at the end-of-life.  READ MORE

July 21, 2009 - More than 1,600 Compassion & Choices supporters contacted members of the House Ways and Means Committee, urging them to support Medicare coverage of the end-of-life discussion. Your voices were heard loudly and clearly as the Committee passed the Medicare provision without any weakending language or amendments.

As the health care reform debate continues to unfold, we do expect future challenges to the Medicare provision. Your support has enabled Compassion & Choies to lead the charge in making patient choice at end-of-life a key part of the health care reform debate. As the only organization fighting to gain Medicare coverage for comprehensive end-of-life consulations, we are putting end-of-life issues on the map in Congress and laying important groundwork for new victories in the months and years ahead.