U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) has announced her ongoing support for the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA), a bipartisan bill aimed at strengthening the workforce in palliative and hospice care as the nation’s population continues to age.
Hyde-Smith is an original cosponsor of S.2287, which seeks to enhance training, increase public awareness, and expand research related to palliative and hospice care services. The legislation was reintroduced by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), with a focus on building a more robust workforce prepared to meet growing demand.
“As our population ages, the need for high-quality, compassionate palliative and hospice care will only continue to grow. This legislation takes a practical, forward-looking approach at preparing our healthcare system for that demand, and ensures that patients and families can count on receiving the care they need during some of life’s most difficult moments,” Hyde-Smith said. “This is a commonsense step toward a stronger and more responsive healthcare system, and I am proud to reaffirm my commitment to seeing it through.”
Medical research has shown that timely access to these types of care can improve quality of life for patients, reduce unnecessary hospital visits and costs, and may lead to better health outcomes or longer survival.
The bill has been referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Other original cosponsors include Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Angus King (I-Maine), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
