The need for community-based palliative care has never been clearer. So why isn’t there a sustainable federal benefit to support it?
Millions of Americans living with serious illness need coordinated, compassionate care long before they qualify for hospice. Yet gaps in our healthcare system too often leave patients and families facing unnecessary hospitalizations, fragmented services, and avoidable suffering.
In this episode of Inside View by NPHI, hosts Tom and Carole welcome Dr. Cameron Muir and Dr. Kris Smith to discuss why it’s time for a robust federal community-based palliative care benefit.
Together, they explore the essential elements of an effective care model, lessons learned from existing Medicare programs, and the work underway between NPHI and C-TAC to develop a sustainable federal payment approach that can bring high-quality palliative care to more people who need it.
Who is in this episode?
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Cameron Muir, MD – Chief Medical & Innovation Officer, NPHI
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Kris Smith, MD, MPP – Senior Clinical Advisor, C-TAC; Co-Founder, Ruby Health; President-Elect, AAHCM
Watch on YouTube
What You'll Hear
🎙️ 03:10 — Closing the Gap in Serious Illness Care
Why do so many patients and families struggle to find coordinated care before becoming eligible for hospice?
Dr. Muir and Dr. Smith discuss the gaps in today’s healthcare system, the burden of repeated hospitalizations, and how community-based palliative care can provide a critical connection between traditional medical care and hospice.
🎙️ 09:42 — What Effective Community-Based Palliative Care Looks Like
Providing better care requires more than occasional consultations or symptom management recommendations.
The conversation explores the importance of proactive care management, strong coordination among providers, and responsive clinical support that helps patients remain safely at home while addressing the needs of their caregivers.
🎙️ 23:07 — Getting the Payment Model Right
A meaningful palliative care benefit must provide enough resources to make a real difference.
Dr. Muir explains what he means by a sufficient “dose” of palliative care, while Dr. Smith discusses the importance of identifying the right patient populations, building sustainable programs, and measuring outcomes that matter.
🎙️ 36:28 — Why Now Is the Time for Federal Action
With growing attention from policymakers and lessons emerging from Medicare Advantage, ACO REACH, and other care models, is the healthcare system finally ready for a national approach?
The discussion turns to NPHI and C-TAC’s work to advance a sustainable community-based palliative care payment model, and the opportunity to turn years of innovation into broader access for patients and families.
🎙️ 41:18 — Imagining a Better Future for Patients and Families
What could serious illness care look like five years from now?
Dr. Smith and Dr. Muir share their vision for a future where palliative care is easier to access, available earlier in the course of illness, and supported by a sustainable payment system. A future where patients receive the care they need and family members have more opportunity to simply be family.
