On July 26, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed State Senate Bill S8205A into law.
The bill aims to create public awareness of palliative care, advance care planning, and hospice in the state of New York. It was introduced in February 2022 by Senator Hinchey of the New York State Senate. The bill requires the New York State Department of Health to create a public awareness campaign to spread information about advanced care, palliative care, and hospice for people with advanced and serious illnesses. The effort hopes to empower patients to take control of their health, inform them of the tools they can use to ensure their choices are honored, and spread awareness that palliative care is an option.
This bill signifies an important step for advanced care planning in New York. The Hospice & Palliative Care Association of New York State (HPCANYS), a C-TAC coalition member working at the forefront to garner support for this bill, recognizes this importance. As President of HPCANYS Jeanne Chirico notes, “these efforts are particularly needed in NY which ranks 50th in the nation for its hospice utilization rate.”
The lack of public awareness about palliative care, advanced care, and hospice has negatively affected the utilization rates of these services when they are available. This lack of awareness has been cited by health experts as one of the largest barriers to making advanced care accessible and an option for patients – especially those who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). This bill is a step in the right direction to improve the quality of life for many.
We applaud the efforts of C-TAC members like The Hospice & Palliative Care Association of New York State (HPCANYS) which worked tirelessly to garner support for this bill in New York. The HPCANYS advocacy team diligently educated policymakers, stakeholders, and legislator influencers on the importance of advanced care to pass this bill. This showcases how the action of our C-TAC coalition members has the potential to impact policy at the state level to make advanced care more accessible.
Importantly, these state-level efforts also have cascading effects on the U.S. as a whole. This New York state effort has set a standard recognizing that action on building awareness for this topic is required. Already, the HPCANYS advocacy team has been contacted by other states who seek to replicate the bill for guidance. Jean added, “the more the issues surrounding people with serious illness are brought to light, the more opportunity there is for change and progress.”
Read the legislation here: https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2021/S8205A
Written by Johanna Arguello-Garcia | C-TAC Policy Intern
