Improving End-of-Life Care in Managed Care
End of life care affects patients across the healthcare continuum. Another component of end of life care involves the payer. The National Task Force on End-of-Life Care in Managed Care released a report May 13, which encourages action in three main areas to improve end of life care. The task force is an interdisciplinary group. The report was prepared by the Center for Applied Ethics and Professional Practice at the Education Development Center, Inc. under a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Recommendations for managed care plans included:
- Provide a range of managed care insurance products that cover end of life care for patients and their families
- Create specific programs for patients dying of chronic degenerative conditions and ensure that these programs consider the needs of families as well as patients
- Base access to hospice care on severity of need, not estimated life expectancy
- Ensure continuity of care for patients and families across different providers and care settings; their continuous quality improvement efforts on the clinical aspects of end of life care
- Take steps to enhance the palliative care knowledge and skills of their medical and nursing leadership and social work staff.
(For a free copy of the report Meeting the Challenge: Twelve Recommendations for Improving End-of-Life Care in Managed Care, contact the Center for Applied Ethics and Professional Practices, Education Development Center, Inc. at 617-969-7100 ext 3388 or spiszcz@edc.org)
