Blumenthal & Barragán Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Improve End of Life Care

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Nanette Barragán (D-CA) today introduced the Compassionate Care Act,legislation to promote advance care planning and end-of-life care. Many Americans do not have plans in place in the event they experience severe illness. In order to help patients access the care they need and that is right for them, the Compassionate Care Act provides critical resources to educate patients and providers, develop core end-of-life quality measures, and expand access to advance care planning via telehealth.

"Our measure will empower Americans who are without plans for end-of-life care to be prepared in the event they experience severe illness," said Blumenthal. "By promoting end-of-life care through public awareness, expanding telehealth services, and working with physicians, we can ensure that patients of all ages are able to access the care that is best for them."

"We must ensure that every patient's healthcare rights and wishes are respected by increased access to advance care planning (ACP)," said Barragán. "Few patients discuss ACP with their providers, and marginalized communities, including individuals with low incomes and non-English speakers, are even less likely to have the conversation. I am proud to introduce the Compassionate Care Act with Senator Blumenthal, as it will create clear guidelines, increase physician education and public awareness, and enhance ACP access for all."

"Passing the Compassionate Care Actof 2024 will be a groundbreaking step towards modernizing end of life care by permanently allowing patients to access hospice care through telehealth, and equipping providers with the necessary tools for comprehensive end-of-life planning," said Kim Callinan, President/CEO of Compassion & Choices, the nation's largest and oldest end-of-life care advocacy organization. "We thank Senator Blumenthal for his leadership on this important issue and will work with him to secure congressional support to pass this compassionate and crucial legislation."

"The Coalition to Transform Advanced Care is extremely grateful to Senator Blumenthal for reintroducing the Compassionate Care Act. The senator's leadership directly improves the lives of individuals with serious illness," said Jon Broyles, CEO of Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC). "This legislation includes critical improvements in advance care planning (ACP) guidelines, and by making permanent telehealth provisions for hospice recertification and ACP at home and by audio only. This along with the much-needed provider and public education will help ensure that patients' care preferences are understood, recorded, and followed, the foundation of patient-centered care that C-TAC promotes."

Among other provisions, the Compassionate Care Act would:

• Establish guidelines for advance care planning between health providers and patients;

• Launch a National Public Awareness Campaign that would encourage patients and providers to make end-of-life plans;

• Direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop education resources for providers to engage with patients, work with providers, state boards of medicine, and clinical associations to develop advance care education resources and solicit feedback from providers and develop quality measures;

• Improve access to advance care planning by expanding telehealth options for providers and patients; and,

• Facilitate a study on a national advanced care planning registry that would allow patients to transfer their advanced directives from state to state.

This legislation is supported by numerous organizations, including Compassion & Choices, C-TAC, National Partnership for Healthcare & Hospice Innovation (NPHI), National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF), American Heart Association, AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, LeadingAge, LeadingAge Connecticut, American Academy of Home Care Medicine (AAHCM), Consumer Coalition for Quality Health Care, Connecticut Center for Patient Safety, Connecticut Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC).

The full text of the legislation is available here. A one-page summary is available here.

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