FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Debra McCarron | [dmccarron@healthsperien.com] | 410-371-8948
Date: September 18, 2025
C-TAC Announces Reintroduction of the Improving Access to Advanced Care Planning Act
Washington, D.C. – The Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC) today announced the reintroduction of the Improving Access to Advanced Care Planning Act, a key bill designed to expand access to advanced care planning (ACP) services under Medicare. The announcement was made by Senator Warner (D-VA), a long-time champion of patient rights, during the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation Washington Leadership Meeting. The bill continues to enjoy bipartisan support and has been cosponsored by Senator Collins (R-ME).
The reintroduction of this legislation marks a significant step forward in removing barriers to advance care planning—one of C-TAC’s top policy priorities. Specifically, the bill would:
- Eliminate patient cost-sharing by removing the 20% Medicare copay for ACP counseling in all settings;
- Expand the care team by authorizing licensed clinical social workers as eligible practitioners to bill for ACP services;
- Educate providers about ACP counseling codes and the value of ACP conversations; and
- Direct MEDPAC to conduct a study evaluating the implementation and impact of ACP within Medicare.
“Those of us working to improve care for individuals impacted by serious illness have long known that high copays for advance care planning create barriers to patient-centered care,” said Jon Broyles, CEO of C-TAC. “Thanks to Senators Warner (D-VA) and Collins (R-ME), who are passionate about these issues, we can now work to eliminate those copays and expand the care team by including social workers. This bill ensures more patients and families will have access to critical conversations about their values and goals of care. We are deeply grateful to the Senators and their staff for continuing to be the voice of patients and families.”
Advance care planning helps individuals make informed decisions about future medical treatment and is foundational to person-centered care. Despite its importance, widespread adoption has been hindered by structural barriers:
- Medicare ACP services currently require a 20% patient copay, which totaled $104.5 million in out-of-pocket payments in 2017
- Research shows these costs disproportionately impact communities of color and discourage providers from offering ACP to spare patients financial burdens.
- Current Medicare rules limit reimbursement to physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants—excluding social workers, who play a central role in ACP in systems like the Veterans Administration.
C-TAC has worked for years to remove these barriers. Past efforts to designate ACP as a preventive service—thereby removing the copay—were denied by both the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which cited lack of statutory authority. The reintroduction of this bill represents a meaningful legislative pathway to achieve these long-sought reforms.
Bill text is available here.
About C-TAC
The Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC) is dedicated to improving the lives of underserved and under-resourced people impacted by serious illness. We work with regulators, legislators, advocates, and funders to craft policies that ensure more equitable, comprehensive, accessible care and support for patients, families and unpaid caregivers. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, we are recognized as an unbiased source of expertise on serious illness and a respected convener of more than 200 organizations that share our vision of a healthcare system that serves patient needs and honors their dignity.
