Sen. Boudreau’s Senate Bill 17 to repeal the termination date for the Palliative Care Interdisciplinary Advisory Council was reported favorably by the House Committee of Health and Welfare on May 20.

Dr. Susan Nelson, system chair for palliative medicine and supportive care at Ochsner Health and chair of the council, told the committee the council — enacted in 2019 — continued its work through the pandemic and has been advising the Department of Health on coverage rules that mirror some Medicare hospice policies, opioid policy matters for patients with serious illness, and coordination with Medicaid managed care.

Dr. Nelson said about 17 members are officially on the council and that many more stakeholders in the serious-illness space participate in its work. She described palliative care as focusing on pain and symptom management, navigation of the health system and conversations about what matters most to patients with serious illness and their families.

Representative Burrell moved to report the bill favorably; the chair asked for objections and, hearing none, the committee reported SB 17 in favor. Support was registered on green cards by the Alliance for Hospice and other stakeholders; Dr. Nelson and the council’s work were presented as volunteer and ongoing.