WASHINGTON – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) announced today the introduction of the bipartisan Hospice Recertification Flexibility Act, which allows hospice providers to use telehealth to conduct the face-to-face visit required for terminally ill patients to
continue receiving hospice services after 180 days of hospice care. This provision complies with existing hospice telehealth rules and makes sure that patients can continue receiving the care they need at the end of their lives.Joining Golden in introducing the bill are Reps. Carol Miller (R-WV), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), Don Davis (D-NC), Aaron Bean (R-FL) and Joe Morelle (D-NY).
“Hospice care exists to provide comfort and compassion during what can be a heartbreaking time. Virtual visits make those services accessible for more people, especially those in rural communities, for whom the nearest hospice facility may be far from home," Congressman Golden said. “This is important, bipartisan work on behalf of families with more than enough on their plates, and I’m determined to see these telehealth provisions extended.”
“It has been a distinct pleasure to work with Rep. Golden on this important bipartisan legislation. The use of technology to facilitate timely access to health care has become an important aspect of delivering health care in America. This is especially true for patients and families living in rural and frontier communities, where telehealth has become vitally important to access quality health care, including hospice. While technology will never replace the value of in-person health care interactions, I am grateful that Rep. Golden is taking the lead in Congress to make sure that telehealth technology remains an important and additional tool to help Maine patients and providers,” said Ken Albert, President and Chief Executive Officer of Andwell Health Partners, which provides hospice care in Maine, and chairman of the board for the National Alliance for Care at Home, the largest trade association and advocacy organization for home health and hospice.
“As patients enter into hospice care, it’s important they can remain in the comfort of their own home as they receive treatment. That’s why I am reintroducing the Hospice Recertification Flexibility Act to allow hospice providers to use telehealth to conduct the face-to-face visits required for hospice recertification. This bill will make it easier for hospice providers by extending access to telehealth as a way for them to continue offering critical care and to monitor the health of their patients,” Congresswoman Miller said.
“Telehealth flexibilities are essential for hospice providers to deliver the highest quality care to patients in the comfort of their homes,” said Dr. Steve Landers, CEO of the National Alliance for Care at Home. “The Alliance extends its gratitude to Reps. Miller and Golden for their leadership on this critical issue. Their thoughtful legislation not only ensures continued access to care for vulnerable patients, but also, through effective guardrails, supports program integrity and stops bad actors attempting to abuse the Medicare Hospice Benefit.”
“The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) is pleased to offer our strong support of the Hospice Recertification Flexibility Act,” said Masako Mayahara, PhD, RN, FAAN, CHPN, FPCN, President of HPNA, and Ginger Marshall MSN, ACNP-BC, ACHPN, FPCN, and CEO of HPNA. “We commend Reps. Miller and Golden for their leadership on this legislation to extend telehealth flexibilities for hospice and look forward to working together to advance this issue that directly impacts our nearly 8,000 members and the patients they serve across the country.”
Full bill text can be found here
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