Vermont is one of nearly a dozen states where doctors can prescribe lethal medication to terminally ill patients who want to hasten their death. For the first decade the law was on the books, only Vermont residents could use it. Then, in 2023, lawmakers opened the program to out-of-staters. The change brought an influx of interest to the small state. "The floodgates opened, and suddenly we were receiving these calls," said Dr. Tim Shafer, a physician at Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend. He prescribes for medical aid in dying, as do some of his colleagues. Because of their location in southern Vermont, they often get requests from Massachusetts, New Hampshire and other nearby states.
