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Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs
The End-of-life Access to Supportive and Essential care Act of 2025 (EASE Act of 2025) would require hospitals to provide Medicare patients with discharge information about available hospice programs. It expands the information hospitals must share beyond hospice care to also include home health services, and it clarifies that the information should cover hospice options that participate in Medicare and serve the patient’s local area. The goal is to improve access to end-of-life care options for individuals likely to be eligible for hospice, by ensuring timely, local information at the point of discharge. The changes would apply to discharges occurring on or after January 1, 2026.
Key Points
- 1The bill amends Title XVIII (Medicare) to require hospitals to provide information on hospice programs to patients being discharged under Medicare, in addition to information about other related services.
- 2It explicitly adds home health services to the information set that hospitals must share at discharge.
- 3The language is reorganized to require hospitals to inform patients about:
- 4- Home health services available through home health agencies (for those likely to need them).
- 5- Post-hospital extended care services (as applicable).
- 6- Hospice care: availability of hospice care through programs that participate in Medicare and serve the patient’s local area.
- 7The information must be provided for discharges occurring on or after January 1, 2026.
- 8The bill is titled to emphasize end-of-life access to supportive and essential care.
Impact Areas
Primary group/area affected: Medicare beneficiaries who are hospitalized and discharged, particularly those likely to be eligible for hospice care.Secondary group/area affected: Hospice programs and home health agencies (potentially increased referrals and engagement with discharge planners).Additional impacts: Hospitals and health systems may need to adjust discharge planning workflows to ensure up-to-date, region-specific hospice and home health information is provided; potential effects on end-of-life care decisions and patient-family satisfaction with discharge planning.
Generated by gpt-5-nano on Nov 1, 2025