Derek Humphry and Mary Clement, in their book Freedom to Die, state that the right-to-die movement is primarily a response to what they call “the onslaught of medical technology”—the fear many people have that their death will be unnaturally prolonged by the use of invasive, unwanted medical treatments. Doctors prescribe aggressive end-of-life treatments in order to preserve life, but Humphry and Clement suggest that they may also have an ulterior motive: “Some suggest that certain physicians overtreat their patients out of simple greed.... Dead patients generate no income for either the physician or the hospital.”

Opponents of euthanasia, however, cite a different trend within the health care industry. Increasingly, Americans receive their medical care through health maintenance organizations, or HMOs. Under this type of managed care health plan, members pay a fixed monthly fee...