Health · Healthcare & Policy · 1 hr ago
Canada proposes keeping MAID unavailable for mental illness alone
Canada’s federal government has introduced a bill changing its medical assistance in dying rules.
It would bar people whose only underlying condition is a mental illness from accessing MAID.
The government has repeatedly delayed when mental illness could qualify, amid concerns about medical disagreement and gaps in mental health care.
The bill would also allow advance requests by people diagnosed with incurable illnesses who may later lose the ability to consent.
Such requests could let someone with a degenerative condition, such as dementia or ALS, state in advance when they would want an assisted death.
Provinces would decide whether to offer advance requests through their health systems, and the bill proposes safeguards.
Parliament must pass the bill before March 17, when the current law says people with mental illness alone would become eligible for MAID.
Canada’s federal government introduced legislation on Oct. 27 to bar medical assistance in dying (MAID) when mental illness is a person’s sole underlying medical condition.
The bill would also allow advance requests for MAID by people at risk of losing the capacity to consent, where provincial rules permit.
Justice Minister Sean Fraser said the government had decided not to expand MAID access for people whose sole condition is mental illness.
The proposed advance-request rules include criteria for people with an incurable illness and in an advanced state of irreversible decline.
The bill must pass the House of Commons and Senate before March 17, when the current law says people with mental illness as their sole underlying condition would become eligible for MAID.
- Who
- The federal Liberal government introduced the bill. Justice Minister Sean Fraser and Health Minister Marjorie Michel are set to discuss it.
- What
- The bill proposes barring MAID when mental illness is the sole underlying condition and allowing advance requests in provinces that permit them.
- When
- Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026.
- Where
- Canada.
- Why
- The government cited concerns about a lack of medical consensus on whether some mental illnesses are irremediable and about gaps in access to mental health care.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A special parliamentary committee concluded that people with mental illness as their sole condition should be excluded from MAID indefinitely.
Justice Minister Sean Fraser said the government would not extend MAID access to people whose sole underlying condition is mental illness.
The federal government introduced legislation proposing the exclusion and allowing advance requests in provinces that permit them.
The date by which the bill must pass Parliament before people with mental illness as their sole underlying condition would become eligible under the current law.
- Bill introduced
- Oct. 27, 2026
- Mental illness
- MAID would be barred when mental illness is the sole underlying condition
- Advance requests
- Proposed for people at risk of losing capacity to consent
- Provincial role
- Advance requests would be available where a province allows them
- Parliamentary deadline
- March 17
6 sources
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Liberals introduce bill to bar MAID for mental illness
Ottawa tables bill to ban MAID for mental illness alone
Federal government to introduce bill restricting MAID for mental illness
Ottawa tables new MAID legislation, excluding people suffering solely from mental illness
What people are saying
When I hear that there is a lack of consensus within the medical community about the irremediable nature of certain mental illnesses, that gives me real cause for concern
While there is not a perfect consensus on this issue, we believe this is the correct approach at this particular time