For Immediate Release:

June 10, 2015

Care Planning Act Gives Patients Facing Serious Illness More of a Voice in Their Care
NHPCO supports legislation to strengthen patient-centered care for Americans facing advanced illness.
(Alexandria, Va) More and more Americans are facing advanced illness, aging with multiple chronic
health conditions, and lack the resources to plan for their care and obtain the support they need for
themselves and their families. The Care Planning Act of 2015, legislation that includes provisions to
assist in navigating complex health care needs and address challenges in advance care planning, has
been introduced by Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA).
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization enthusiastically supports this legislation and
applauds the leadership of Senators Isakson and Warner.
NHPCO has long championed the need for Americans to discuss their healthcare preferences with their
loved ones and have the support of an interdisciplinary team in seeing those preferences realized, said
J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO. Self-determination is at the core of the hospice
philosophy and care model, and we believe that The Care Planning Act will allow some of our most
vulnerable patients to have much more support and direction in their health care.
The Care Planning Act creates a new Medicare benefit called Planning Services for those with advanced
illness, allowing for a team-based approach of care planning discussions with doctors, nurses, and other
healthcare professionals. It also creates a pilot program for Advanced Illness Coordination Services to
allow for home-based support of patients with multiple and complex chronic conditions.
In introducing the legislation both Senator Warner and Senator Isakson talked about their own personal
experience with family members dealing with advanced illness.
I know firsthand just how easy it is to put these conversations off because its incredibly painful to
imagine a loved one becoming so ill that he or she is unable to make decisions about her own medical
care, said Sen. Warner, whose mother, Marjorie, passed away from Alzheimers disease in 2010 at
the age of 81. This bill takes a patient-centered approach by making sure more information is available
to patients and their families, and by ensuring that patients have an opportunity to discuss their
treatment options, plan for their future care, and make their choices known.

Im proud to join Sen. Warner in introducing the Care Planning Act today to provide individuals who
have been diagnosed with a serious or life-threatening illness and their loved ones an opportunity to
have face-to-face conversations with their doctors, nurses and religious advisors to develop plan for
care, said Sen. Isakson. I know from my own familys experience that having a plan makes a world of
difference in ensuring a high quality of life during a loved ones last days.
As an organization committed to increasing awareness of advance care planning, NHPCO provides free
information and tools to the public. NHPCOs Caring Info has state-specific advance directive forms and
information on advance care planning that can be downloaded from its website
www.caringinfo.org/stateaddownload. Each states advance directive is legally reviewed on an annual
basis and meets each states statutory requirements.
-###Contact:
Anita Brikman
NHPCO
Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications
Ph: 703-837-3154