Maintain Hospice Agreements: A10310-A Paulin

MEMORANDUM OF SUPPORT

A10310-A Paulin
Requires residential health care facilities to maintain hospice agreements to ensure access to hospice services for eligible residents

The above-referenced bill would ensure that residents of nursing homes have meaningful, timely access to hospice services by requiring residential health care facilities to maintain hospice agreements and coordinate care for eligible residents. The New York State Catholic Conference supports this legislation.

New York shamefully stands as one of the last in the nation for hospice and palliative care uptake. To make matters worse, the State recently legalized the practice of assisted suicide, condoning the practice for the elderly and terminally ill. Many sick and vulnerable patients will no doubt feel like a burden, may feel desperate amidst a lack of options, and might even be coerced into ending their lives. We must do more to ensure that individuals understand their end-of-life options and are able to access them with ease. By requiring nursing homes to provide a path these services, we can truly support New Yorkers at end-of-life through the gifts of palliative and hospice care.

This bill is one of many steps New York should take to raise awareness and improve access to hospice and palliative care. We urge you to pass this bill, for the Senate to take it up, and for the Governor to sign it into law.