The New Jersey legislature is considering a bill that would create a community-based palliative care benefit within the state’s Medicaid program.
A state Senate committee has voted to move forward with the bill, S-3729A, introduced by Democratic State Senator Richard Codey.
“Palliative care in the home or the local community can dramatically improve the quality of life for the patient and their families and help extend the patient’s lifespan,” Codey said in a statement. “It provides comfort, relief and support for those in need.”
If enacted, the legislation would direct the New Jersey Commissioner of Human Services to apply to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to obtain any necessary amendments or waivers to implement the provisions of the bill and to secure federal funding for the program.
The commissioner would also be charged with developing rules and regulations that would be needed to implement the bill, including guidance on which patients would be eligible to receive the care.
The bill would authorize licensed, Medicaid-approved home health and hospice agencies to provide care in patients’ homes.
New Jersey is joining a wide number of states that have passed or are considering palliative care legislation.
As of 2022, 17 states had enacted or allocated funds for the expansion of palliative care delivery, state advisory councils that guide the development of those services or public education programs, according to the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP).
Also as of that year, 27 states had enacted legislation to commission groups to study the feasibility and process for establishing palliative care services and payment in their region, NASHP reported. Though to date, programs like these have yielded mixed results, often depending on how well they are funded.
“Palliative care focuses on the symptoms of serious illnesses that can have such a debilitative effect on the health and well-being of patients,” Codey said.
