Frequently Asked Questions
- be eligible for health services funded by the federal government, or a province or territory (or during the applicable minimum period of residence or waiting period for eligibility)
- generally, visitors to Canada are not eligible for MAID
- be at least 18 years old and mentally competent. This means being capable of making health care decisions for themselves.
- have a grievous and irremediable medical condition
- To be considered as having a grievous and irremediable medical condition, an individual must meet all the following criteria. They must:
- have a serious and incurable illness, disease or disability (excluding a mental illness until March 17, 2024)
- be in an advanced state of irreversible decline in capability (that cannot be reversed)
- have enduring and intolerable physical or psychological suffering that cannot be alleviated under conditions the person considers acceptable
- An individual does not need to have a fatal or terminal condition to be eligible for MAID
- To be considered as having a grievous and irremediable medical condition, an individual must meet all the following criteria. They must:
- make a voluntary request for MAID that is not the result of outside pressure or influence
- give informed consent to receive MAID
What is medical assistance in dying (MAID)?
In June 2016, the Parliament of Canada passed federal legislation that allows eligible Canadian adults to request MAID. MAID is a process through which a doctor or nurse practitioner assists an eligible individual, at their request, to intentionally end their life. These health care providers can assist in the process without being charged under criminal law. However, physicians, nurse practitioners and other people who are directly involved in this process must follow the rules set out in the Criminal Code and applicable provincial and territorial health-related laws, rules and policies.
For more information on MAID in Canada, please visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-services-benefits/medical-assistance-dying.html
Who is eligible to receive MAID?
In order to be eligible for MAID, an individual must meet all of the following criteria. They must:
Is MAID allowed for individuals where mental illness is the sole underlying medical condition?
Under the law passed in March 2021, Canadians whose only medical condition is a mental illness, and who otherwise meet all eligibility criteria, were not eligible for MAID until March 17, 2023, which was extended until March 17, 2024 (with the passage of Bill C-39). This extension allows more time for provinces and territories to prepare and to disseminate key resources to ensure that MAID assessors and providers are ready to address these more complex MAID requests.
Do I need to register to be able to participate in the questionnaire or the quick poll?
You do not need to register on the website to complete the questionnaire or the quick poll.
Do I need to register to share a story?
Yes. In order to use the share your story function, you must register on the website. To register, you will be asked to choose a non-identifying username and enter your email. No password is required.
Please note that all stories shared will be visible publicly on the website, under the username you choose at registration. The email you use to register is private, and will not be visible on the webpage at any time. If you would prefer not to use your real name (not to be visible publicly), you are welcome to choose an anonymous username when you register.
If you wish to share your story directly with us, and not have it displayed on the website, please email us at ieolc.sfva@hc-sc.gc.ca.
How will my information be protected?
The personal information you provide to Health Canada will be collected by the Indigenous End-of-Life Care Policy team under Section 4 of the Department of Health Act and handled in accordance with the Privacy Act. Your decision to participate or not is yours alone and there will be no consequences if you decide not to participate.
Why are we collecting your personal information? Your responses and stories will be used to inform a What We Heard report on Indigenous Peoples’ perspectives on MAID, planned for completion in 2025, and to more broadly inform the federal policy approach to culturally safe, inclusive and appropriate end-of-life care, specifically regarding MAID. We will not ask you to provide us with any information that could directly identify who you are, such as your name, or full date of birth. However, it’s possible the responses you provide could be used alone, or in combination with other available information, to identify you. The protection of your personal information is very important to us and we will make every effort to safeguard it and reduce the risk that you are identified. Please note that your personal information may also be collected by Bang the Table Pty Ltd, which hosts this site on behalf of Health Canada / Public Health Agency. See their privacy policy for more information.
Will we use or share your personal information for any other reason? No information that could directly identify you will be collected from in the questionnaire or quick poll. However, themes emerging from collective responses may be shared with Indigenous organizations peer-reviewing the planned What We Heard report, prior to its completion in 2025. In this report, we will make every effort to ensure any quotes or content pulled from your responses do not contain information that could be used to identify you. Your responses may also be used to inform the Indigenous End-of-Life Care Policy team’s approach to future engagement with Indigenous Peoples on MAID and end-of-life-care.
What are your rights? You have a right to complain to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you feel your personal information has been handled improperly. For more information about these rights, or about how we handle your personal information, please contact the Indigenous End-of-Life Policy team at ieolc.sfva@hc-sc.gc.ca.
Please note that when sharing your story with the “Share Your Story” function all stories and your username will be visible to all visitors to the website. If you prefer, you may register under an anonymous username, so your real name is not associated with your story.
All information shared by email or mail will be viewed by the Indigenous End-of-Life Care Policy team and anonymous data from these messages, excluding identifiable information, may be shared with other sectors of Health Canada and/or other government departments. Any identifiable information, such as a name or email address, will be separated from the content of the message, and will never be shared or published.
How will my responses be used?
The responses collected from this online engagement and other Indigenous-led and Health Canada-led engagement activities will inform a What We Heard report on MAID Indigenous engagement, planned for completion in 2025.
Who can see my responses?
The questionnaire is completely anonymous, and responses will be reviewed by the Indigenous End-of-Life Care Policy team in accordance to our Privacy Notice.
Quick poll responses are also completely anonymous, but the overall results of the poll can be seen by all visitors to the website.
All stories shared under the “Share Your Story” function will be visible to all visitors to the website. If you prefer, you may register under an anonymous username, so your real name is not associated with your story.
Why is Health Canada engaging with Indigenous Peoples on MAID?
Health Canada is committed to walking the shared path of reconciliation guided by the Principles respecting the Government of Canada’s Relationship with Indigenous Peoples and aligned with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Both the Independent Expert Panel on MAID and Mental Illness and the Special Joint Committee on MAID identified the need for engagement with Indigenous Peoples on MAID.
Health Canada is dedicated to working with Indigenous Peoples to improve access to culturally appropriate end-of-life care services, including for MAID. We continue to build relationships with Indigenous organizations and governments, based on their priorities, readiness and capacity. Indigenous-led engagement, accompanied by Health Canada-led engagement activities, like this online tool, will help guide federal policy that supports access to culturally safe MAID for eligible individuals.
Who can I contact if I have more to say?
Additional comments and questions can be directed to the Indigenous End-of-Life Care Policy team by email at ieolc.sfva@hc-sc.gc.ca or by mail to:
Indigenous End-of-Life Care Policy
Strategic Policy Branch
Mail Stop 1904
4th Floor Jeanne Mance Building
200 Eglantine Driveway, Tunney’s Pasture
Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9
