Advocacy in Washington, DC is an ever-increasing, specialized endeavor. Health care, federal spending and public policy are influenced by a broad range of issues that have evolved significantly in the 28 years since the Medicare Hospice Benefit was enacted. It’s critically important that the Hospice Advocates work aggressively to stay ahead of the curve by engaging proactively on the legislative issues facing hospice.

Click the links below for more information on legislative issues that impact hospice.

Supported Legislation. Throughout each Congressional session, HAN staff works together with the leadership of NHPCO, including the Public Policy Committee, to consider various pieces of legislation impacting the hospice and end-of-life care community. In many cases, NHPCO will take a position of support for legislation that will advance our cause. (Read more...)

Two Cuts Are Too Much. Since early 2008, the hospice community has been working hard on behalf of the patients and families we serve, to protect the Medicare Hospice Benefit from reductions that would hinder patient access to hospice services. These reductions will force some hospice programs to shut their doors completely.  We have had some great successes and a few set- backs. Accordingly, the battle to protect patient access to hospice continues! (Read more...)

Impact of Health Reform Law. For all of 2009, the hospice community was on the edge of our collective seat, watching the political process that has consumed health care reform. The challenges continue with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.To say that this journey has been a winding road is an understatement, but with each curve, Hospice Advocates have been very clear and unified in our messaging to Congress.  During this process, we have been unified in our messaging against cuts to hospice and for provisions to enhance and expand the access to high-quality, compassionate end-of-life care. (Read more...)

Building the Benefit for the Future. NHPCO and the Hospice Action Network always have an eye on the future. We know that the realities, diagnoses and demographics of the patients who depend on hospice evolve and change with the times, and we strive to make sure that the Medicare hospice benefit can keep up with these demands and allow for providers to deliver compassionate care at the bedside to future generations. (Read more...)

MedPAC. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is an independent Congressional agency tasked with advising the U.S. Congress on budget issues affecting the Medicare program. The Commission's statutory mandate is quite broad: In addition to advising the Congress on payments to private health plans participating in Medicare and providers in Medicare's traditional fee-for-service program, MedPAC is also tasked with analyzing access to care, quality of care, and other issues affecting Medicare. From time to time, MedPAC studies aspects of the Medicare hospice benefit, formulates recommended changes, and reports to Congress. (Read more...)