Current law limits the choice of a hospice attending physician to the patient's physician or Nurse Practitioner (NP). While NPs have been permitted to serve as hospice attending physicians, physician assistants (PAs) are not authorized to do so. Hospice patients should be permitted to choose their PAs to continue to provide services related to the terminal prognosis upon election of hospice care.
The Medicare Patient Access to Hospice Act, H.R. 1284 (introduced by Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-KS), would grant Medicare beneficiaries the right to select their PAs to serve as their attending physicians for purposes of hospice care. This is a non-controversial change, but one that is very important for hospice patients.
Please contact your Members of Congress and encourage them to cosponsor Medicare Patient Access to Hospice Act today.