An Update from the Hill: Advancing the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA)
Washington D.C. was an exciting place at the end of October. Sure there was a whirlwind deal to shore up the budget and avoid a crisis over the next two years. And there was the resignation of Speaker Boehner and election of Speaker Ryan. But more importantly, AAHPM was in town to discuss the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act or PCHETA. The take home from AAHPM fly-in is this: Just as the construction on the Capital Dome is slow going but advancing, PCHETA is moving forward. Progress is being made and we have MOMENTUM. Participants described constituent meetings with legislators and their staff as productive. The legislature knows more and more about PCHETA and understands the issues better. The PCHETA bill was first described on GeriPal in 2012. For those who think, "why is this important bill not already law" it is important to recognize that a lot of good work has happened. 1. The PCHETA bill of 2015, which was introduced by Representati