Tell legislators to protect Hospice!

Originally published in the Lincoln Tribune, May 6, 2008

Q: I want to support hospice, but I don't have time to volunteer. Is there anything else I can do?

A: Write your Representative and Senators! After you vote in the primaries today, take about five minutes to submit a letter to your elected representatives via the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization's website, www.nhpco.org.

There has never been a better time to speak out for hospice. The most recent federal budget proposal contains several cuts in the hospice reimbursement structure. Even a small cut in those rates could have a devastating effect on hospices nationwide. Since about 80-85% of hospice revenue comes from Medicare, a reduction in reimbursement rates could cause hospices to make cutbacks or even to accept fewer patients.

Hospice has attracted more attention in the budget over the last few years because it has grown to be a bigger piece of the Medicare pie. Last year, hospice programs across the country served 1.3 million patients and families, and Hospice Medicare Benefit expenditures were higher than ever before. However, hospice care actually saves Medicare money. A recent independent Duke University study clearly demonstrated that on average, hospice saves Medicare more than $2,300 per patient: “Given that hospice has been widely demonstrated to improve quality of life of patients and family members…the Medicare program appears to have a rare situation whereby something that improves quality of life also appears to reduce costs.”

It's important to speak up now so Congress protects hospice from budget cuts in upcoming legislation. If you have never written your Senator or Representative, the NHPCO website makes it easy. Visit www.nhpco.org and click the link under "Help Protect Hospice Rates" in the Breaking News section. The new page is called the Legislative Alert Center. In the green box under "Help Protect the Hospice Reimbursement Rate!", click the button to go to a form that walks you through the letter-writing process. It only takes about five minutes.

I can't stress enough the importance of these emails. Legislators often judge what the most urgent issues are by the number of emails they receive on a given topic. Help keep hospice at the top of their lists!