Political Quotes

“I rise today in support of the legislation introduced by Senator Wyden, of which I am an original cosponsor, the `Hospice Evaluation and Legitimate Payment Act.' The HELP Act. The HELP Act does what the title says it does and takes initial steps in helping our hospices in Kansas and across the Nation continue to give the valuable care that patients and families need. It is impossible to describe the value of hospice services to the patients and families for whom they provide selfless and compassionate care. Over the next 10 years hospice is facing drastic reductions in their reimbursements, negatively impacting at least 1.3 million patients and families, which is the number served by hospice programs in recent years. The HELP Act sets realistic requirements for a face-to-face encounter. The Accountable Care Act included a requirement that a hospice physician or nurse practitioner should have a face-to-face encounter with hospice patients before their 180-day recertification and for each 60-day recertification period after that date, has caused a significant burden on our hospice communities, especially those in rural areas. The limits on who can conduct the face-to-face encounter and the timeline for compliance do not reflect the operational realities of hospice programs, especially for small and rural hospices.…”