In a recent letter sent to President-elect Biden, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization President and CEO Edo Banach highlighted more than 20 hospice and palliative care priorities that NHPCO, which represents hospice and palliative workers, urges the new administration to address during its first 100 days in office. Among the letter’s recommended priorities are initiatives that affect hospice workers who are employed in home care. These include:
• COVID-19 vaccinations for hospice workers, patients and caregivers
• Inclusion of hospice providers in priority FEMA PPE distribution and testing
• Passage of the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act
• Legislation or regulation to allow the hospice face-to-face requirement to be conducted through telehealth
• Increased number of days allowed for hospice inpatient respite care
• Removal of barriers to hospice care for Medicare beneficiaries seeking concurrent care
• Removal of the six-month prognosis barrier to hospice
Banach states in the letter that the recommendations require “immediate attention” and that the staff of NHPCO and its members look forward to working with the new administration.
