Advocacy Update

AAHPM Continues to Target APMs in Effort to Expand, Improve Care for Serious Illness

Jacqueline M. Kocinski, MPP

Despite its proven benefits, many patients and caregivers never receive palliative care because current payment systems do not provide adequate resources to enable palliative care teams to deliver those services to the right patient in the right place at the right time. Five years ago, AAHPM kicked off an initiative to define the payment reforms necessary to sustain high-quality palliative care, culminating in the development of the Patient and Caregiver Support for Serious Illness (PACSSI) alternative payment model (APM) proposal. In many ways, however, recommending an APM was just the start of much hard work and advocacy to follow. Some of the Academy's latest efforts are highlighted below.