Bipartisan Bills Introduced to Improve Access to Blood Transfusion in Hospice Care

A bipartisan group of senators led by Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) reintroduced legislation this week that seeks to improve access to blood transfusions during end-of-life care.

The Improving Access to Transfusion Care for Hospice Patients Act would require the CMS Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to test allowing blood transfusions to be paid separately from the Medicare hospice all-inclusive per diem payment. Rosen, along with co-sponsors Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and John Barasso (R-Wyo.), first introduced the bill in 2021 with the support of AABB and partner organizations in the blood community.

In addition, Rosen, Baldwin, Barasso and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) introduced the Expanding Access to Palliative Care Act, which aims to provide comprehensive palliative care services – including palliative blood transfusion – much earlier in the course of illness. This bipartisan bill would create a demonstration project within Medicare to allow palliative care to be covered concurrently with curative treatment for patients with serious illness or injury.

Debra BenAvram, AABB’s CEO, expressed strong support for the reintroduction of the transfusion care legislation, emphasizing its importance in addressing a significant gap in end-of-life care.

“The Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies applauds Senators Rosen, Barrasso, and Baldwin for reintroducing the Improving Access to Transfusion Care for Hospice Patients Act,” BenAvram said. “The Association is committed to advancing patients’ access to safe blood transfusions throughout the continuum of care, and this bill addresses an important barrier for patients receiving care under the Medicare hospice benefit.”