On Wednesday, June 7 hospice and palliative care advocates from across the nation made a difference and presented a united voice in Washington, DC.
As a part of the annual Hospice Action Hill Day, over 70
NHPCO and HAN advocates gathered to make legislative visits on Capitol Hill in
support of key policy priorities impacting hospices of all shapes and sizes. This
was the first completely in-person Hospice Action Hill Day since 2020. Participants
were excited to come together and have face-to-face congressional meetings for
the first time in years.
Participants included members of the board of directors for
both organizations, state leaders, MyHospice Ambassadors, and grassroots
advocates. There were representatives from every piece of the hospice and
palliative care system, from CEOs to clinicians and nurses, from administrators
to volunteers. NHPCO and HAN staff also joined groups of advocates for
meetings, including five NHPCO summer interns. Advocates’ previous experience
on the Hill ranged from decades of visits to the Capitol to this event being
their first-ever opportunity to meet with legislators.
Over 130 Congressional offices in the House and Senate took
time to speak with advocates representing providers, patients, and families from
more than half the total states in the US.
Advocates spoke with legislative offices about five key
policy issues: community-based palliative care, program integrity, payment
policy, the future of the hospice workforce, and the results of the recent NORC study on annual hospice
cost savings to Medicare. Through a series of trainings and resources,
advocates were introduced to recent developments on these issues and key asks
for legislators.
One key ask was for legislators to support the
Expanding Access to Palliative Cart Act (S. 1845), which was introduced
on June 7 during Hospice Action Hill Day. This bill would authorize the Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to test a demonstration model of providing
palliative care to Medicare beneficiaries outside of the hospice benefit and in
community settings. On the workforce front, legislative offices were also asked
to support the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA),
which is expected to be reintroduced before the end of June.
On program integrity asks, advocates informed legislative
offices of NHPCO and partners’ 34
recommendations to CMS, and that a bipartisan sign-on letter to CMS on the
issue from Representatives Earl Blumenauer (OR) and Beth Van Duyne (TX) would
soon be circulating.
Advocates have shared that legislative offices were engaged
with policy issues and asks, expressing enthusiasm for the latest NORC
research, interest in exploring paths forward for workforce and program
integrity issues, and in expanding access to palliative care. Offices also
reportedly expressed interest in being involved in the We Honor Veterans program.
At the pre-Hill Day training on June 6, Hill staffer Sarah
Gilbert of Representative Neal Dunn’s office (R-FL) stopped by for a
conversation about what advocates could expect when meeting with a
Congressional office.
The training also included recognition for leaders and
advocates who made a special difference in the last year for hospice and
palliative care.
The 2022
Hospice Angel Awards for members of Congress were shared. Advocates meeting
with some offices the following day were able to personally deliver these
awards. Honorees who met with advocates during the Hospice Action Hill Day included
Senator
Shelley Capito (R-WV) and Congressman
Joe Morelle (D-NY).
Winners of the 2022 MyHospice Ambassador Awards were also
formally announced at the pre-Hill Day event. MyHospice Ambassadors is an advocacy
program for those who are particularly committed to advancing hospice and
palliative care through their demonstrated passion, dedication, and leadership.
These award winners stood out through their efforts in the previous year:
- Rookie of the Year: Angela LaBarca, Business Development Specialist with Caring Circle Hospice, Michigan
- Impactful Voice: Sandy Kuhlman, Executive Director of Hospice Services of Northwest Kansas, Inc., Kansas
- Ambassador of the Year: Demetress Harrell, CEO of Hospice in the Pines, Texas
The event also briefly recognized Mackenzie Daniek,
co-director of Providence Hospice in Seattle and first-time Hospice Action Hill
Day attendee. Daniek co-wrote an impactful op-ed on hospice care in the
Seattle Times this past April, and organizers wanted to recognize the piece
as an ideal example of advocates effectively raising the profile of hospice and
palliative care issues.
Overall, the Hospice Action Hill Day and the training that
preceded it have already proven to be a seminal moment in NHPCO and HAN
advocacy for 2023. With the start of a new Congress and the resolution of
outstanding issues like the debt ceiling, it was vital for hospice and
palliative care advocates to come together and raise a collective voice for the
cause. After years of being separate-but-together, an in-person advocacy event
provided opportunities for renewed energy among advocates from across the country.
Learn more about how YOU can be part of changing hospice
care policy for the better by signing up with the Hospice
Action Network today!
