I am sorry that Pope Leo XIV is “disappointed” that Illinois now has a medical aid in dying law. I respect his right to an opinion on the subject. If he wishes to suffer through his final agonies, no matter how horrific, that’s his choice and more power to him. Personally, I would like to have the option, if I am suffering at the end, of drinking something down and peacefully going to sleep. I wish Leo and the Catholic bishops would respect my choices and mind their own business. And I would have more respect for Leo’s opinion if he would announce that contraception is good, masturbation is not a sin, divorce is OK and women can be priests.
Medical aid in dying is now legal in Illinois, California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, New Mexico, Colorado, Maine, Vermont, New Jersey, Delaware and Washington, D.C., and soon will be in New York. It’s an option, a choice that terminally ill, mentally capable adults may make — never an obligation — and nobody qualifies because of age and disability. And despite the views of the Catholic hierarchy, polls consistently show support for medical aid in dying among rank-and-file Catholics.
Tribune readers might be interested to know that even in heavily Catholic Italy, medically assisted dying has been permissible since 2019; the Italian region of Tuscany approved a medical aid in dying law this year.
— Edward Gogol, Crystal Lake
Grateful for agency
I’m 87 years old and have prostate cancer. While my death is not imminent, I am likely to eventually die of this disease. Anyone who has watched a friend or loved one die from this cancer knows that, in spite of everything that doctors can do, it can be a prolonged and extremely unpleasant passing for the person who is ill as well as for family and friends. But now we finally have another option: medical aid in dying.
When the time comes, I will be able to gather family and friends to celebrate what has been a wonderful life together as I pass on to the next great adventure. This is simply a rational and humane way to deal with the inevitable end of this life that we all will face one day. I understand that many disapprove of this option. That is fine. They don’t have to choose it. But they have absolutely no right to demand that I not be able to choose it for myself.
The law contains strong safeguards for all who are involved. Doctors are not required to participate. The protections against any form of coercion, which is a felony, have proved to be successful in the states that have allowed MAID for years. I understand that choosing to end one’s life on one’s own terms is a pretty big leap for many people, but years of experience in MAID states have proved its value and benefits for thousands of people.
So, if you disapprove of MAID, for whatever reason, fine. But please don’t attempt to deny me my fundamental right to make my own choice about how my life will end when that time comes for me.
— Colin C. Campbell, Geneva
Church is exempted
As an Illinois transplant who has been here for almost a quarter of a century, it makes me sad that the state I thought would be liberal and open-minded seems to be controlled by the Catholic Church. My most recent source of consternation stems from the article “Some Illinois hospitals won’t participate in aid-in-dying” (Dec. 20), which details Catholic hospital systems that won’t be following the medical aid in dying law and helping people avoid suffering in the last few weeks or days of their life.
Approximately 24% of Illinois is Catholic. Yet where I live in Homewood, almost many health systems are owned by the Catholic church. The hospital we were sent to when my toddler had croup? Catholic. The only trauma center close to me? Catholic. My primary care physician? Affiliated with a Catholic system.
By taking control of all of the health care in my area, the Catholic Church can limit my choices as a non-Catholic to make the decisions that are best for me.
And this is not simply paranoia on my part. When my daughter was little, a fellow married Homewood mom with a small child was denied birth control by her primary care physician, simply because they were affiliated with a Catholic health system.
In my relatively short time in Illinois, time and again the Catholic Church has used its doctrine to discriminate and impose its views on non-Catholics. Let’s not forget that Catholic Charities received state money for placing foster kids and then refused to let same-sex couples be foster parents. Or that churches were the main opposition to same-sex marriage being recognized in Illinois.
We need to stop exempting the Catholic Church from following our secular laws, and we need more publicly funded hospitals so that everyone has the right to care that follows their own ethics, not that of the hospital offering treatment.
— Kate Sims-Drew, Homewood
What about choice?
I am wondering if the same people who object to medical aid in dying also support abortion? What happened to: “My body, my choice”?
— Ann DeFronzo, Woodridge
State insurance system
The recent editorial on homeowner’s insurance rate increases rightly acknowledges the financial pressure many Illinois families are facing (“Another steep homeowners insurance rate hike from Allstate. How should Springfield react?” Dec. 22). But it also risks mischaracterizing the very system that has kept our state’s insurance market competitive, affordable and responsive for decades.
Illinois insurers are already required to submit detailed actuarial documentation to justify any proposed rate increase. These filings undergo review by a state regulator to ensure rates reflect real risk, not arbitrary pricing. Every increase must be actuarially sound.
It’s also misleading to suggest that the Illinois Department of Insurance lacks oversight authority. The current framework balances transparency, flexibility and competition. Illinois has one of the most competitive insurance markets in the nation, with more than 200 companies offering homeowners coverage. That competition keeps prices in check. Our state’s average annual premium is $1,143, which is below the national average of $1,337, even though construction labor and building material costs have increased.
The editorial calls into question whether this model still serves consumers. But the alternative — HB3799’s rigid “prior approval” system — would impose lengthy delays and retroactive disapprovals that could destabilize the market. Independent analysis shows that shifting to this model could increase premiums by 20%, or roughly $230 per household.
This is the worst possible moment to advance legislation that would drive homeowner’s insurance premiums up by another 20%. Property taxes across Chicago are already soaring, and the burden is falling hardest on communities with the least room to absorb it. As the Tribune recently reported, many predominantly Black neighborhoods saw property tax bills jump by more than 50% compared with 2024, a staggering increase by any measure.
Calls for rate regulation may appear politically appealing, but they ignore the reality that rates reflect risk. Suppressing actuarially sound rates doesn’t protect consumers; it limits their choices and drives up costs in the long run.
That said, we agree with the Tribune Editorial Board that transparency matters. We welcome efforts to enhance public understanding of rate filings and insurer performance.
The Illinois Insurance Association and our member companies remain committed to working with lawmakers and regulators on thoughtful, balanced solutions that preserve our strong marketplace while making improvements that best serve Illinois consumers.
— Kevin Martin, executive director, Illinois Insurance Association, Springfield
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