Medicare hospitals must now tell patients about hospice care at discharge
H.R. 2437 — EASE Act of 2025 · Filed by Erin Houchin (R-IN) · Introduced Mar 27, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill requires hospitals to tell Medicare patients about hospice care options when they are discharged, specifically if they appear likely to need it. It also clarifies that hospitals must inform patients about home health services and post-hospital extended care when relevant. The requirement takes effect January 1, 2026.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a straightforward mandate that hospitals disclose available end-of-life care options to Medicare patients at discharge. It is a transparency/informed-consent measure, not a funding, subsidy, or deregulatory instrument.
What the text implies
- Hospitals may face compliance costs to identify which patients are 'likely to need' hospice, home health, or extended care—requiring clinical judgment or new screening protocols at discharge.
- The requirement references hospice programs that 'participate in the program under this title and serve the area in which the patient resides,' which may exclude some private or non-participating hospice providers from the mandatory disclosure list.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
hospice care providers (participating Medicare providers); home health agencies; post-acute care facilities