Lawmakers are bringing greater attention to a pair of bipartisan Senate bills designed to improve access to community-based palliative and hospice care services. Stakeholders in a recent Senate Comprehensive Care Caucus briefing on Thursday focused on two pieces of legislation aiming to integrate more innovative, home-based and person-centered care models for serious and terminally ill […]
Category: Legislation
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bill proposing an estimated more than $700 billion in Medicaid cuts during the next decade. The legislation’s potential impacts on community-based hospice care delivery could be significant, according to industry stakeholders. President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes a budget reconciliation process of tax reductions that […]
A bill currently before Congress seeks to overhaul aspects of the Medicare Advantage program. Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) recently introduced the Medicare Advantage Reform Act. If enacted, the bill, numbered H.R. 3467, would make wholesale changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA). A key provision of the bill is a proposed requirement that MA plans pay […]
Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) has introduced the Medicare Advantage Reform Act, which among other provisions would require health plans to pay for hospice care. If enacted, the bill, numbered H.R. 3467, would make wholesale changes to the Medicare Advantage program. It would mandate capitated payment models, change risk adjustment methodologies and create new exemptions for […]
The Wisconsin State Assembly has approved a bill requiring the state’s Department of Health Services (DHS) to create a statewide palliative care council. A group of 22 palliative clinical professionals, patients and family members would comprise the council to help address care delivery issues and raise awareness in the field. The council would also include […]
A tax bill currently before Congress could lead to Medicaid cuts that would inhibit access to home- and community-based services (HCBS). The bill, which promises sweeping tax and spending cuts, currently is undergoing a reconciliation process. The amount of tax cuts could reach $4.5 trillion, with spending cuts in the area of $4.5 billion, with […]
Dual pieces of legislation are circulating in New York proposing to block the entry of new for-profit hospices and limit expansion of existing entities in the state. The bills are aimed at addressing rising concerns related to evolving trends in tax status and ownership in the industry. One bill has passed in the New York […]
The State of Illinois legislature is advancing bills that would provide additional support for patients nearing the end of life. The Illinois General Assembly’s House of Representatives has advanced four bills related to hospice and palliative care that were recently cleared by a legislative committee. They pertain to issues like medication delivery, advance care planning […]
Founders of a new Iowa-based pediatric hospice facility have recently pushed legislation forward to help improve the availability of end-of-life support for terminally ill children and their families. Mason’s Light House is anticipated to open in 2027 or 2028, depending on state licensing processes and funding, according to Shanna Sieck, founder and board president of […]
Pandemic-related telehealth flexibilities set to expire March 31 have recently been extended for another six months as federal lawmakers approve a continuing resolution to fund the government and avoid a shutdown. Congress has passed the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act 2025 (FY2025), which allowed for continuation of several public health, Medicare and Medicaid authorities […]