New National Guidelines Call for Improved Access to Vital Palliative Care

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Many people living with a serious illness who are receiving treatment for their condition, whether heart failure, lung disease, cancer or another illness, don’t have access to palliative care, which can make all the difference in how they feel physically, emotionally and spiritually. New palliative care guidelines set out to improve access to this care, […]

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NASHP, Hartford Foundation Team Up to Support State Palliative Care Efforts

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While Medicare and most Medicaid programs do not have formally-established palliative care benefits, many patients throughout the United States are able to secure some form of palliative care services through existing benefit structures, including through home health agencies, physician group practices, and hospital-based programs.  As interest in development of a more formalized structure for care […]

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Palliative Nursing Summit Advances Agenda in Priority Areas of Pain, Advance Care Planning

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In May 2017, multiple stakeholders in palliative nursing joined forces to develop a collaborative framework for advancing a shared agenda relative to communication and advance care planning, pain and symptom management, and coordination/transitions of care.  Subsequent to that one-day meeting, the Palliative Nursing Summit (PNS) Steering Committee identified two priority areas for immediate action by […]

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NAHC to Congress: Fight Opioid Crisis without Limiting Access to Patients in Need

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The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has joined with other groups in the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association in a letter to Congressional leaders, asking them to continue fighting the opioid crisis, but to do so in a way that does not limit access to painkillers for legitimate patients in need. In […]

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Help NAHC Expand the Supply of Trained Hospice, Palliative Care Personnel

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Urge Senate Passage of PCHETA! In late July the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA — H.R. 1676). This legislative proposal has been introduced over the last several Congresses and has enjoyed widespread bipartisan and bicameral support, as well as the support of key stakeholders in hospice […]

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CMS-proposed Physician E&M Payment Changes: Potential Implications for Hospice, Palliative Care

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In late July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a rule proposing sweeping changes to payment and documentation requirements for physician evaluation & management (E & M) services provided in the office or outpatient setting.  Other settings under which E & M services are billed (such as under hospital observation, inpatient or […]

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Hospice Education Bill Passes House of Representatives

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— NAHC has been an advocate for PCHETA On Monday the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (H.R. 1676). This bill, a National Association for Home Care and Hospice priority, has enjoyed ample and broad bipartisan support, garnering 285 cosponsors prior to the vote. The […]

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Key House Panel Advances NAHC-Supported Hospice Legislation

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The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health advanced the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA) on Wednesday, June 27. PCHETA would increase the number of permanent faculty in palliative care at accredited medical, nursing, and social work schools, and other programs; promote education and research in palliative care […]

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Education Helps Nurses Hold End of Life Talks with Cancer Patients

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Education about how to hold end of life discussions with advanced cancer patients may help those patients make more informed decisions about their own health care, according to a new study presented at the 2018 Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Annual Congress. While the evidence indicates patients who are well-informed about their health prognosis make better […]

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Right to Try Becomes Federal Law. What Does it Mean for Home Health and Hospice?

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President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Right to Try Act on Wednesday, May 30, 2018, a piece of legislation he called for in his last State of the Union address, and predicted it would save a “tremendous number of lives.” Opinion is divided on how many lives it will save, if any, but […]

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Palliative Care Reduces Suicide Risk for Veterans with Lung Cancer

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A 2017 study found that patients with lung cancer commit suicide at more than four times the rate as the general population, according to study results presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference. The results of the study demonstrated that suicide risks for lung cancer patients increased far more than it did for patients […]

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Palliative Care Workshop Highlights Innovative Care Programs

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An April 2017 workshop to highlight innovative community-based palliative care programs just issued a report on its proceedings, with the aim of informing more people about how to increase the usage of models of care that will serve the needs of people of all ages facing serious illness. Palliative care is specialized medicine focused on […]

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