Washington, D.C. – Today the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA). The bipartisan bill would increase federal research funding for palliative care, including symptom and pain management, and would establish palliative care education and training programs for doctors, nurses and other health professionals. It would also create a national public education and awareness campaign to educate patients and providers about the availability and benefits of palliative care. The bill’s passage in the House of Representatives clears the way for Senate consideration.
A statement from Chris Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), follows:
“Cancer patients, survivors and others living with serious illnesses and chronic pain have reason to celebrate today as a result of the House of Representatives’ approval of PCHETA on a bipartisan basis. The PCHETA legislation, which ACS CAN and the Patient Quality of Life Coalition (PQLC) have long advocated for, will improve the coordination of care and quality of life for cancer patients, survivors and others living with serious illnesses. There is a critical need to expand patient awareness of, and access to, palliative care services and appropriate pain management. We believe the PCHETA legislation will greatly aid in this effort through updating pain and symptom management training for health care providers and also bolstering federal pain research efforts at the National Institutes of Health.
“We commend Congressmen Elliot Engel (D-NY), Tom Reed (R-NY) and Buddy Carter (R-GA) for championing the PCHETA legislation and thank House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ) for their leadership. We now urge the Senate to quickly follow suit and pass this legislation in a bipartisan fashion.”