Reps. Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-Georgia) and Dr. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) have introduced the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA).

The legislation was announced on Thursday and has a Senate companion bill led by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) The PCHETA legislation has been reintroduced several times, most recently in 2023.

The PCHETA bill is designed to bolster the field’s shrinking workforce through stronger federal support of staff training, education and awareness, as well as enhanced research. If enacted, the latest iteration of the legislation would help to establish more hospice and palliative care internships, clinical fellowships and interdisciplinary training opportunities.

“As a doctor, I know how important it is to provide patients with comfort, clarity, and support when they’re facing serious illness,” Bera said in a statement. “The Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act is a smart, bipartisan step to ensure more health care professionals are trained to deliver this kind of care. By expanding training programs and strengthening our health care workforce, we will make sure that patients and families have access to the care they need to manage pain, make informed decisions and live with dignity.”

The new PCHETA bill aims to improve access and quality for serious and terminally ill patients by increasing the nation’s supply of hospice and palliative care professionals. Among the goals is to also alleviate widespread health care staffing shortages and reduce the lengthy hospital stays and rehospitalizations.

If enacted, the legislation would support hospice and palliative care training programs for nurses, physicians, pharmacists, social workers and chaplains. The bill would also expand continuing education and career development programs and incentives in these fields.

The industry is facing a tremendous need for more training and education opportunities, Carter indicated.

“Caring for someone living with serious illness or at the end of their life is one of the most compassionate, selfless things one can do, and we must ensure that these heroes have the assistance, training, education, and tools available to provide the highest quality care possible,” Carter said. “As a pharmacist, I understand the toll burnout takes on the health care industry, and I am committed to bolstering the workforce so nurses, doctors and all health care workers can continue to pursue their passion for helping others.”

Nearly 78.3 million Americans will be 65 and older by 2040, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

A large “gap” exists when it comes to the supply and demand of hospice and palliative care clinical resources, according to a report from 2010 published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. An estimated 4,487 hospice and 10,810 palliative care clinicians are needed to provide sufficient support to the nation’s swelling aging population, the report found.

Among the leading issues fueling the staffing deficit is that medical students often do not receive sufficient exposure to hospice and palliative care in their training and education

Hospice and palliative care providers also experience higher rates of burnout compared to others as a result of workforce shortages, according to a separate study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. Palliative care clinicians reported a 38.7% burnout rate, the study found.

The newest iteration of PCHETA builds upon the legislation’s growing momentum for the last several years running. If enacted, the bill would establish community-based training programs and fellowships through new palliative care and hospice education centers providing short-term, intensive training, as well as incentivized award programs across all the relevant disciplines. It also includes provisions that emphasize family caregiver engagement and education around the services included in hospice and palliative care delivery.

The PCHETA legislation’s more than 100 supporters included several hospice and palliative care state associations. Other organizations included the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), LeadingAge, National Alliance for Care at Home (Alliance) and National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), among several others.

“The Alliance celebrates Representatives Carter and Bera’s leadership in introducing the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act, which will ensure families have access to the trained professionals they need during life’s most difficult moments,” Alliance CEO Dr. Steve Landers said. “As our population ages, this critical investment in education and training will help us meet the growing demand for quality palliative and hospice care.”