Hospice and Palliative Care Access & Quality

Published on May 30th, 2023

Memorandum of Support

Re: A5587 Wallace / S4858 Hinchey
Establishes the offices of hospice and palliative care access and quality

The above-referenced bill would establish the office of hospice and palliative care access and quality. Sadly, this important legislation was vetoed by the Executive last year. The New York State Catholic Conference strongly supports this bill, and we hope to see it passed again and signed into law.

Hospice and palliative care are critically important for the preservation of the dignity of life at its end stages. The end of life, and difficulties it presents, are very stressful not just for patients but for their loved ones. The support and care that hospice provides eases these burdens for families so that they may share cherished precious, final moments. Counseling helps mitigate the fear and trauma associated with impending death, and palliative care eases the patient’s pain.

Despite the benefits of hospice and palliative care, New York shockingly ranks 51st in the nation when it comes to their utilization. Obviously, better oversight of these valuable services and improvements to its access are needed. Quality is critical for these important services. If more New York families are aware of their options, and more readily able to access them, patients and their families will no doubt have better end-of-life experiences.

The Catholic Conference believes this legislation will improve end-of-life situations for New York families, and we urge you to support it.