Expected-utility theory can explain why people who are terminally ill often feel a surge in wellbeing and hope to live longer when they have the option of legally ending their lives. Behavioral theories, however, may better answer larger questions such as why so few terminally-ill people bother...

A physician faces a difficult decision when her terminally ill patient wants to die. Her compassion and the Hippocratic Oath pull her in different directions. A bargaining model offers an explanation of how she balances these emotions. The model has simple and powerful implications for the patient.