ACT NOW! ADMINISTRATION SEEKS 15 PERCENT HOSPICE RATE CUT

[Kris Scanlon]

I received this email from the Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Partnership, a member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). These proposed cuts would drastically affect hospice for Medicare beneficiaries. (Hope its o.k. to post this!) Last month it was reported that The Administration's last budget package to Congress specifically asked for drastic cuts in hospice reimbursement rates (a market basket adjustment and an adjustment in the hospice wage index). Taken together, the two approaches would cut rates in excess of 15%. It is not too late to act. Now is the time for you, your staff, volunteers and friends to make our voices heard to protest this unprecedented attack on the high quality end-of-life care that is delivered by the nation's hospices. Through customizable email messages that will go directly to congressional offices, we are simply asking representatives to add their names to a letter being circulated from Congress to the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt, asking him to keep the current hospice rate structure in Medicare. This is the necessary first step to preserving the hospice benefit as we know it. Your elected representatives need to hear from you that hospice is important to your local community and that you expect them to sign on to the letter to the Secretary. We are asking you to act quickly, as CMS is expected to begin the process to change the rate structure perhaps as early as next week. It is imperative that each hospice mobilize people to write, call, email and speak to your federal representatives to oppose the budget package and, more importantly, to block the Administration rule making effort to cut hospice rates. Specifically, we need you to click or copy and paste the link below to send a letter to your elected officials. Please share this request with your staff and volunteers - anyone who will help us reach Congress with this message. http://capwiz.com/nhpco/home/