Introduction of the Medicare Hospice Act

Floor Speech

INTRODUCTION OF THE MEDICARE HOSPICE PROTECTION ACT

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Medicare Hospice Protection Act to help preserve Medicare beneficiaries' access to hospice services. I am pleased to be introducing this legislation with my colleagues Jim Ramstad and Maurice Hinchey.

Established as a Medicare benefit in 1983 to ensure that all beneficiaries could access high quality end-of-life care, hospice is a comprehensive model of care that encompasses the physical, spiritual, emotional, and practical needs of the patient. Considered to be the model for quality, compassionate care at the end of life, hospice care involves a team-oriented approach of expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the patient's wishes. Hospices around the country provide invaluable services and care by enhancing the quality of life for the terminally ill.

The Medicare hospice benefit has significant cost savings. A Duke University study showed that patients receiving hospice care cost the Medicare program about $2,300 less than those who did not.

Unfortunately, the Bush Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued a final rule that would eliminate the budget neutrality factor in the Medicare hospice wage index. This will result in a $2.18 billion reduction in Medicare hospice reimbursement over 5 years and threatens the ability of hospice providers to care for the terminally ill. This legislation seeks to prevent CMS from implementing this shortsighted rule until October 2009.

I initiated a letter in April 2008, signed by 49 House members, to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt urging him to reconsider issuing this rule that phases out the current budget neutrality factor in the Medicare hospice wage index. That letter was ignored as the Administration has moved forward and issued this misguided regulation.

Madam Speaker, as our nation faces the continuing challenges of meeting the health care needs of an aging population, now is not the time to cut back on Medicare reimbursement for hospice services, which is cost effective and saves Medicare money. I invite my colleagues to join us to pass the Medicare Hospice Protection Act to ensure access to hospice services for the patients and families who need it.

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