(Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC)— The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) played a lead role in today’s Senate Comprehensive Care Caucus briefing, which focused on expanding access to palliative care services for patients with serious illness. The bipartisan event, hosted by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Barrasso (R-WY), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Deb Fischer (R-NE), underscored the need for innovative models that deliver person-centered care in the home and community.
Hillary Loeffler, Vice President of Policy & Regulatory Affairs for the Alliance, moderated the panel discussion, guiding thoughtful conversation on access, workforce, and innovation in care delivery. Dr. Robert Parker, Chief Clinical Officer of Kindful Health—an Alliance member—joined as a featured panelist, sharing clinical and operational insights from the front lines of community-based palliative care.
“Palliative care centers the patient, their goals, their values, and their comfort,” said Dr. Parker. “It can be provided at any stage of a serious illness, but its impact is especially profound at the end of life, when it allows patients to focus on what matters most. Sometimes, the most meaningful intervention isn’t another procedure or a hospital stay in an unfamiliar place; it’s a thoughtful conversation, a personalized care plan, and a strong support system. Expanding access to community-based palliative care equips clinicians to meet people where they are, with compassion, clarity, and respect. That’s the kind of care everyone deserves.”
Today’s briefing aligned with the reintroduction of two bipartisan bills sponsored by Senator Rosen: the Expanding Access to Palliative Care Act and the Improving Access to Transfusion Care for Hospice Patients Act. Both bills would authorize the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to test new payment models that address current care gaps and reduce barriers to timely, coordinated support.
“The reintroduction of the Expanding Access to Palliative Care Act is a meaningful step toward ensuring patients and families can receive high-quality care when and where they need it. Building on the success of the Medicare Care Choices Model, we believe a concurrent care approach within hospice should be developed for national dissemination,” said Dr. Steve Landers, CEO for the Alliance. “We also appreciate Senator Rosen’s leadership on the Improving Access to Transfusion Care for Hospice Patients Act, which addresses a key access challenge. The Alliance is proud to support these efforts to expand person-centered, community-based care.”
Learn more about the Alliance’s advocacy priorities.
###
Press Contacts
communications@allianceforcareathome.org
Elyssa Katz | 571-281-0220
Tom Threlkeld | 202-547-7424
About the National Alliance for Care at Home
The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is a new national organization representing providers of home care, home health, hospice, palliative care, and other health care services mainly delivered in the home. The Alliance brings together two organizations with nearly 90 years of combined experience: NAHC and NHPCO. NAHC and NHPCO have combined operations to better serve members and lead into the future of care offered in the home. Learn more at www.AllianceForCareAtHome.org.
