Some unfortunate news – PCHETA has been removed from today’s HELP Committee Markup. It is our understanding that the Department of Health and Human Services raised concerns about some of the accreditation language in the bill. While we are working to understand the exact nature of their concerns, we are committed to providing an appropriate…
The HAN team is excited to announce that the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee will consider the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA, S.2080) during a mark-up on December 12th at 10:00 AM ET. HELP Committee Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray were negotiating the final bill text earlier…
Despite all the hustle and bustle around the impeachment hearings, last Thursday, November 14, Congress took time to conduct a hearing on Caring for Aging Americans. An issue that is undoubtedly nonpartisan and far less controversial, but one that is being discussed more and more often as America’s baby boomer population ages and caregivers are…
Today, Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced the Hospice Care Improvement Act of 2019, a bipartisan bill that addresses hospice program integrity, transparency, and education. The legislation follows the release of the July 2019 Office of the Inspector General reports that cited hospice deficiencies and serious incidents of patient abuse. NHPCO…
So, we finally made it here! After months and months of action alerts, tweets and Facebook posts, letters to the editors, and op-eds urging Members of Congress to support the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA/H.R.647), the legislation passed the House unanimously via voice vote after having garnered 296 cosponsors! If enacted,…
You know what time it is – well, almost is! National Hospice and Palliative Care Month begins one week from today, which means hospice and palliative care professionals, leaders, advocates, and supporters will join in efforts to enhance awareness and educate their community about care for people experiencing serious illness and the end of life. …
According to a 2019 study, closing the gap in hospice utilization between White and racial/ethnic minority populations would result in cost savings of an estimated $2,105 per Medicare hospice beneficiary, which translates to approximately $270 million annually. Particularly, Medicare spends around 20% more on Black and Hispanic people than White people in their last year…
Written by Nicholas Telesco, Hospice Action Network Intern: In exciting news, the ACE Kids Act, which will alleviate coordination issues children with medically complex conditions face, has become law! The bill, which was included in the Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act of 2019 (H.R. 1839) was introduced by Reps. Paul Ruiz (D-CA-36), Markwayne Mullin…
The HAN team is excited to celebrate the launch of the My Hospice Ambassadors Program. With the support of NHPCO and HAN, Ambassadors will be a powerful voice in their community as they advocate on behalf of individuals an families experiencing serious illness and the end of life. See below for a Press Release by…
August Recess is only two weeks away! For those of us in government relations and in the D.C. Metropolitan area, August provides a break from the everyday hustle and bustle of the political world, but for advocates around the country this is the perfect time to engage with Congressional offices in your own backyard. During…