Administration Move Jeopardizes Hospice Care Says National Hospice and Palliative...

Administration Move Jeopardizes Hospice Care Says National Hospice and
Palliative Care Organization

Hospice providers and terminally ill patients prepare for worst, Congress
urged to act quickly

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Centers for Medicaid and
Medicare Services (CMS) announced today that it will cut Medicare
reimbursement rates for hospice, forcing many hospice providers across the
country to either significantly scale back the care they provide to terminally
ill patients or to shut their doors altogether. The final rule, published in
The Federal Register, is effective October 1, 2008.

"Let's be clear, the Administration's cuts will seriously hurt the most
vulnerable -- the terminally ill," said J. Donald Schumacher, president and
CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), which
represents 4,000 hospices nationwide. "By issuing this rule, CMS is taking an
end run around Congress and its longstanding role protecting hospice."

"The government's reason for its decision that would effectively cut rates --
the need to save money -- simply isn't true," noted Jonathan Keyserling,
executive director of the Alliance for Care at the End of Life, an affiliate
organization of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
"Research has shown that hospice saves the Medicare system money, is highly
rated by family members of hospice patients, and enables the patient to die at
home in most cases," says Keyserling. "This rule defies logic, and will have a
direct, negative impact on care at the bedside."

According to an independent 2007 Duke University study, hospice saves Medicare
an average of $2,300 per patient, amounting to a total savings of about $2
billion a year.

Considered to be the model for high-quality care for terminally ill patients,
hospice focuses on caring, not curing, and, in most cases, is provided in the
patient's home. Hospice professionals are experts in providing pain and
symptom management to the dying. Additional services include emotional and
spiritual support to patients and their family caregivers as well as caregiver
training. More than 1.3 million dying Americans received care from the
nation's hospice providers last year, a number that continues to rise.

A Gallup poll found that nine out of 10 Americans, if faced with a terminal
illness, would want to remain in their homes and receive the services that
hospice provides. In fact, more than 80 percent of hospice care in the U.S. is
provided in the home. And patient satisfaction with hospice approaches 100
percent as shown by data collected from family caregivers.

Congress Should Preserve Hospice
Congress has historically rejected Administration requests to reduce the level
of hospice reimbursement, realizing the harmful impact such cuts would have on
care at the bedside. "And this time is no different," says Keyserling.
"Congress should intervene to stop the Administration's cut to hospice care,
before the rule goes into effect."

Today, sentiment on Capitol Hill largely remains the same -- a bicameral and
bipartisan group of more than 90 members of Congress has sent a letter to
Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt in opposition to the proposed
rule.

"It is in our nation's fiscal and moral interest that high-quality hospice
care remains an option for all who need these unique services and support,"
said Keyserling.

NHPCO is the oldest and largest nonprofit membership organization representing
hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States.
NHPCO's mission is to lead and mobilize social change for improved care at the
end of life, www.nhpco.org.

The Alliance for Care at the End of Life is a 501(c) 4 organization created by
the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) to provide a
more aggressive and comprehensive advocacy voice to serve the entire field
and, ultimately, one of America's most vulnerable populations -- those nearing
the end of life, www.afceol.org.

SOURCE National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Angie Montes of National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization,
+1-703-835-0616, or Shanna Duncan, +1-202-872-4860, cell: +1-703-209-8742, for
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization