Increasing Access To Palliative Care Can Help Reduce Healthcare Spending, According To Florida TaxWatch Research

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A new report by Florida’s premier independent government watchdog, Florida TaxWatch, finds that increasing access to palliative care can play an important role in improving patients’ quality of life and reducing healthcare spending.

Palliative care, like hospice care, is the comprehensive management of the physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and existential needs of patients. While either hospice or palliative care may be the most appropriate care for an individual beginning at diagnosis – and hospice care provides additional benefits that are not part of palliative care that are unique and important for terminally ill patients – palliative care may be more appropriate for some patients and uniquely appropriate for others.

“Expanding community-based palliative care could improve quality of life for patients and reduce healthcare spending for Floridians,” said TaxWatch Center for Health & Aging Chairwoman Samira Beckwith, President & CEO of Hope Healthcare. “Palliative care cannot and should not replace hospice care and should not delay the provision of hospice care for eligible and appropriate terminally ill patients, but palliative care can serve both to provide services for those patients with chronic but not terminal conditions and serve a patient’s needs until hospice care is appropriate. The ideal interaction between palliative care and hospice is a seamless transition from palliative to hospice services.”

“Based on our research, it is clear that palliative care warrants special attention as a distinct and promising healthcare service,” said Florida TaxWatch President & CEO Dominic M. Calabro. “With nearly one-half of American adults living with at least one serious condition or chronic illness, state policymakers should have a full understanding of how this could benefit all Floridians and take the expansion of palliative care under strong consideration.”
The research report includes:

• An in-depth look at the benefits of palliative care
• Potential challenges of expanding community-based services
• Recommendations for policymakers from Florida TaxWatch, including:
  • Developing a regulatory framework for palliative care which defines the services that constitute palliative care and puts in place a system of care reimbursement that can be used by public and private payors;
  • Investing in programs that increase training opportunities to address workforce shortages, such as palliative medicine fellowships, incentives for palliative care fellows to remain in Florida, expanded training programs for nurses, and increased internship opportunities; and
  • Playing a strong role in encouraging state agencies to increase public awareness of the benefits and value of palliative care.

“The findings of this analysis clearly show that it is imperative for Florida policymakers to explore options to increase access to palliative care,” said Florida TaxWatch Executive Vice President Robert Weissert.

Read the FULL Palliative Care research report here.

About Florida TaxWatch

As an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog & taxpayer research institute for nearly forty years, the trusted eyes and ears of Florida taxpayers, Florida TaxWatch, works to improve the productivity and accountability of Florida government. Its research recommends productivity enhancements and explains the statewide impact of fiscal and economic policies and practices on citizens and businesses.

Florida TaxWatch is supported by voluntary, tax-deductible donations and private grants, and does not accept government funding. Donations provide a solid, lasting foundation that has enabled Florida TaxWatch to bring about a more effective, responsive government that is more accountable to, and productive for, the citizens it serves since 1979. For more information, please visit http://www.floridataxwatch.org.