SB 294 Palliative Care Pilot Program/Hospice
Senate Bill 294 (Hernandez/Chaptered 2017) updates the hospice agency licensing statute to make clear hospice agencies can provide palliative care services to patients who are not on hospice. The bill essentially creates a “pilot” to observe and measure the effects of hospice providers offering palliative care services.
CCCC co-sponsored SB 294 with the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association (CHAPCA) because California Hospice Licensure Act permitted “preliminary” palliative care services to be provided concurrently with curative treatment to non-hospice patients, but the statute was unclear about whether hospices could to provide palliative care services beyond initial consultations.
CCCC and CHAPCA worked together to successfully shepherd SB 294 through the legislature and celebrated when the bill was signed into law in October 2017. The law went into effect on January 1, 2018.
Note: Licensed hospices participating in the Palliative Care Pilot Program (PCPP) are required to complete and submit a Palliative Care Pilot Program Data Report pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 1747.3(d), through the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) reporting website. This report is due annually, on or before January 1 of 2019, 2020, and 2021. On December 31, 2018, CDPH issued AFL 18-57, notifying hospice providers of the launch of a new web-based data collection tool created to facilitate the mandatory annual reporting required of SB 294 Palliative Care Pilot Program participants.
Pilot Program reports for 2018 participation are due on January 1, 2019. The CDPH reporting portal will be open December 31, 2018 – March 1, 2019.
Useful Links/Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What steps do hospices need to take to participate?
Hospices must submit to CDPH the following:
• Notification of the date the provider intends to start providing the services
• Form HS 200, or a successor form, with the relevant portions completed
• A complete Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services form CMS 417, or a successor form.
Where do we submit the paperwork to participate?
The notification and all paperwork must be submitted via U.S. mail to:
CDPH Licensing and Certification Program
Centralized Applications Unit,
P.O. Box 997377, MS 3207
Sacramento, CA 95899-7377
When can hospice providers begin offering the service?
Providers can begin the new service 45 days after submission of the necessary paperwork, even if they have not received official notification of approval from CDPH.
Will CDPH charge an application fee?
No. The Department will not charge an application fee related to this service.