Editorial with Dr. Ezekiel Emmanuel
Patient-centered care should be a defining feature of the health care system, and no time is more critical for having patients at the center of care than at the end of life. At this difficult and deeply personal time for patients and their families, it is paramount that the preferences of patients and their families be respected and their experiences prioritized. Compassionate end-of-life care should be available to the 2.8 million individuals who die every year in the United States and should be delivered in a way that is highly coordinated, seamless to patients and their families, and attuned to the patient’s goals and wishes. One important step in realizing that goal is the new hospice benefit design proposed by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI).
