NHPCO NewsLine Spring 2021 - 13

Direct Advocacy
▌	 White House Meetings: NHPCO, on behalf of the
hospice and palliative care community,
participated in White House meetings with the
previous Administration officials including the
Vice President and the CMS Administrator. Most
recently, NHPCO leadership met with the Biden
Administration in February 2021 to discuss
NHPCO's Policy Priorities.
▌	 We Honor Veterans: Secured continued partnership
with the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans
Health Administration and funding for Veterans
services programs led by NHPCO.
▌	 Community Based Palliative Care: Secured
Congressional support for a proposed CMS
demonstration.

▌	 Successfully advocated for flexibility in how
providers can apply Provider Relief Funding
money toward lost revenues attributable to
coronavirus including for thrift store and
fundraising revenue.
▌	 Produced extensive resources for hospice and
palliative care providers with detailed
information on providing care during COVID-19,
including COVID-19 Shared Decision-Making Tool
in English and Spanish, Crisis Standards of Care
for Hospice and Palliative Care Providers,
resources on infection control, nursing homes
and bereavement services.
▌	 PPE support funding for providers was secured
through the National Hospice Foundation's
Workforce Emergency Support Fund for grants
to hospice providers in need of critical PPE.

▌	 Regulatory Issues: NHPCO advocated for
regulatory changes related to payment, COVID
flexibilities, regulatory burden, and eliminating
redundancy.
▌	 Hospice Champions and Angel Awards:
Recognized supporters among Congressional
leaders and outstanding member advocates
from the field.

COVID-19 Support
▌	 Advocated for increased flexibility during COVID
through 1135 waivers, including 15 separate
hospice-specific waivers approved by CMS.

NHPCO continues to serve
as an effective advocate
and resource for hospice and
palliative care providers.

▌	 Advanced COVID testing support for our
community by establishing a partnership with
Operation Warp Speed and Administration
officials including the Assistant Secretary for
Health. Secured allocation of 10 million tests for
home health and hospice providers.
▌	 Successfully advocated for hospice providers to
be prioritized for vaccine distribution with the
CDC and NHPCO participate in HHS Vaccine
Consultation panel.

Newsline / Spring 2021

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NHPCO NewsLine Spring 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NHPCO NewsLine Spring 2021
