Stakeholders in the hospice space are optimistic that Congress will pass the recently reintroduced Palliative Care and Hospice Education Training Act (PCHETA). While some see the bill as a beacon of hope, sustainable change will likely require more than a single piece of legislation. The legislation has percolated for the past five years without passing, […]
Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) have reintroduced the Palliative Care and Hospice Education Training Act (PCHETA), designed to bolster the field’s shrinking workforce with federal support. If enacted, PCHETA would support hospice and palliative care training programs for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and chaplains. The bill would also expand continuing […]
Terminally ill patients suffering from dementia are more likely to receive life-sustaining treatments when children versus spouses were involved as decision-makers, according to recent research. The difference in end-of-life treatment choices suggests that more work needs to be done to ensure that surrogate decision makers and care teams are aware of patient preferences as early […]
The lack of standardized quality measures for palliative care complicates efforts to expand access to those services. This means community-based palliative care providers have limited ways to benchmark their performance and further demonstrate their value. The growing need for this type of care has led providers and industry groups to pump up the volume of […]
Congressional lawmakers have reached consensus on a $1.5 trillion omnibus bill to fund the federal government. In addition to big ticket items such as additional COVID response funds and aid to Ukraine, the legislation extends temporary flexibilities for virtual care instituted during the federally declared public health emergency (PHE). When enacted, the bill will extend […]
Pediatric patients are among the most underserved seriously ill population in hospice and palliative care. Hospices have worked to expand their scope of pediatric services, with a focus on increasing access to palliative care and opening up referral streams. Compared to adults on hospice, children represent a smaller but crucial group of patients, according to […]
Integration of telehealth has become an important component in serious illness and end-of-life care. Providers leveraged telehealth to build efficiency and increase touch points with patients and families, while also reducing travel and leg work for staff. But as pandemic restrictions start to wind down, regulatory uncertainties and questions abound about the long-term impact of […]
Hospices have been among the providers working to close gaps in equitable care among underserved communities of color. As diversity initiatives spiked in recent years, providers have grappled with challenges in raising awareness and increasing access. Community partnerships are becoming a key stepping stone along the avenue of improvement. Building sustainable and long-term strategic relationships […]
A consortium of 336 health care providers and industry organizations have written to U.S. congressional leaders to extend the temporary regulatory flexibilities allowing for more extensive use of telehealth during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The groups, including the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, ultimately […]
The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) has unveiled two new patient-reported quality measures for community-based palliative care. These were born as part of the first funding initiatives to develop measures for the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Payment Program, including the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and alternative […]
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