Increasing our Impact
NPHI is proud to stand with C-TAC and others in support of the Improving Access to Advance Care Planning (ACP) Act. As a national collective of community-based advanced illness care providers, NPHI and its members understand the importance of ensuring all Medicare beneficiaries have genuine access to counseling regarding their choices and preferences at the end of life. As we know, hospice services are often dramatically underutilized due to late referrals and a lack of prior planning. Engaging in ACP conversations earlier in the disease progression can improve the quality of life for beneficiaries and lessen the burden on caregivers. We look forward to working with C-TAC, Congress, and others to pass this critical legislation.
President, NPHI
We applaud our legislative champions for introducing the Improving Access to Advanced Care Planning Act. Advance Care Planning (ACP) is essential to ensuring that an individual’s care preferences are understood and honored during serious illness and at the end of life. The pandemic reinforced again how critical these conversations are for patients, families, and those that care for them. If enacted, this bill would bolster the health system’s ACP capacity by allowing properly trained clinical social workers to get reimbursed for these services, while also requiring a comprehensive provider education outreach campaign on the value of using Medicare’s ACP billing codes. Importantly, the legislation would also remove any beneficiary cost-sharing associated with these codes, a key equity-focused change that will address an oft-cited barrier to patient and provider willingness to engage in these discussions. NAHC is proud to support this thoughtful framework for improving our nation’s approach to advance care planning.
President, The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC)
The Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network (SWHPN) strongly supports the inclusion of clinical social workers in the definition of eligible practitioners who can bill for Medicare Advance Care Planning counseling services. As key members of the interdisciplinary team, clinical social workers are already well-trained to have meaningful conversations around Advance Care Planning with patients and families. This bill would have a direct and immediate impact on the ability of clinical social workers to bill for these services, reducing an important barrier to care and greatly enhancing the provision of these conversations.
Executive Director, Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network
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