WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), co-chair and founder of the bipartisan Comprehensive Care Caucus and a member of the Special Committee on Aging, announced that last night the Senate passed her bipartisan resolution recognizing November as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. Fellow Comprehensive Care Caucus co-chairs and co-founders Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Deb Fischer (R-NE) are original co-sponsors of the resolution.
National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, observed in November, honors the work and dedication of long-term and palliative care providers and the critical services they provide to families and their loved ones facing serious illnesses. This resolution is endorsed by the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).
“As someone who chose to step back from their career to make sure my parents and in-laws got the care and support they needed, I understand the struggle that so many Americans and their loved ones go through to access quality health care later in life,” said Senator Rosen. “Recognizing National Hospice and Palliative Care Month helps bring awareness to all the ways in which hospice and palliative care providers improve the quality of life for so many patients and help alleviate the pain for their families who are also navigating these challenges. This bipartisan resolution, sponsored by my Comprehensive Care Caucus co-chairs, will help us continue to elevate the importance of quality, compassionate care for all.”
“We owe our friends in the U.S. Senate, particularly Senators Rosen, Barrasso, Baldwin and Fischer, an enormous thank you for passage of a resolution to designate November as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month,” said Jon Broyles, CEO of the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC). “We believe that all persons living with serious illness should have access to equitable care that reflects their individual care preferences and includes needed community services and underfunded and utilized palliative care and hospice care. During November we should focus our educational efforts on sharing information on the value and need for palliative care and hospice and the staff and volunteers that provide this essential care.”
“This Senate Resolution recognizes the incredible work done by hospice and palliative care providers across the country every day to ensure patients experiencing serious illness and the end of life can live their lives to their fullest throughout their illness,” said Edo Banach, President and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). “After nearly two years of the pandemic, the importance of hospice and palliative care providers is clearer today than ever. Thank you to Senators Rosen, Barrasso, Fischer, and Baldwin for their leadership on this issue and to Senators across the country for supporting the hospice and palliative care community.”
Senator Rosen introduced the bipartisan Expanding Access to Palliative Care Act with Senators Barrasso, Baldwin, and Fischer in July. This legislation would allow palliative care to be covered concurrently with curative treatment for illness under Medicare, greatly improving quality of life for the patient and their family. Senator Rosen also led the introduction of the bipartisan Improving Access to Transfusion Care for Hospice Patients Act of 2021 in the same month, which would allow Medicare patients to receive transfusion services in addition to their full hospice benefit. In September, Senator Rosen and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Provider Training in Palliative Care Act, bipartisan legislation to allow members of the National Health Service Corps to defer their service for up to a year to do additional training in palliative care.
Last Congress, Senator Rosen led the launch of the bipartisan Comprehensive Care Caucus with the purpose of raising the public’s awareness and promoting the availability and benefits of palliative care, while also finding bipartisan solutions to expand access to palliative care services, improve coordinated care, and address issues impacting caregivers. The Caucus aims to improve accessibility to palliative care services and improve the quality of life of Americans and their loved ones managing serious illnesses.
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