There is an immediate need to expand the availability of blood transfusions within the Medicare hospice program to ensure all patients can benefit from the end-of-life care provided through the Medicare hospice benefit.&nbsp;
H.R. 7966 and S. 4118 The Hospice CARE Act of 2026 were introduced to address this issue. These sets of bills would, among other actions, expand coverage of blood transfusions in the hospice setting. We encourage members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to support these bills.&nbsp;
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Ask Congress to Support Patient Access to Palliative Blood Transfusions

One of the most pressing issues facing the blood supply is the urgent need to reform the Medicare program to ensure patient access to palliative blood transfusions.

Medicare beneficiaries that rely on palliative blood transfusions for quality of life are currently forced to choose between continuing to receive these transfusions or receiving the holistic care provided by the hospice benefit. The result is these patients are less likely to meaningfully engage with hospice and more likely to utilize expensive ICU care at the end of their lives that costs more for a lower quality of life. To rectify this situation, I am writing to urge you to cosponsor H.R. 7966 and S4118 The Hospice CARE Act of 2026. These sets of bills would, among other actions, expand coverage of blood transfusions in the hospice setting. I want to encourage you to support these bills.

Blood transfusions can often be a critical therapy as part of quality end-of-life care. Unfortunately, since so few hospice providers provide transfusions, patients often delay enrolling in the Medicare hospice program or forgo utilizing it altogether to continue to receive blood transfusions that are necessary for their quality of life. This prevents patients, their families, and caregivers from receiving holistic care, including pain management, education, and emotional and spiritual support.

This reality is primarily a result of few hospice providers providing blood transfusions due to the cost, complexity, and lack of associated reimbursement. Yet, delayed enrollment in hospice has been shown to lead to a greater number of emergency room visits and hospital admissions in the last 30 days of life, with patients much more likely to die in the hospital or intensive care unit. As a result, the cost of these transfusion dependent patients not meaningfully utilizing hospice dramatically lowers end-of-life quality measures at an increased cost to Medicare ($17,783 vs $7662).

Expanding the availability of blood transfusions within the Medicare hospice program will ensure that all patients can benefit from the program while maintaining the quality of life provided by blood transfusions. 

Thank you for your focus on this matter and for making strengthening America’s blood supply a national priority. 

Sincerely,

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