Committee approves hospice ‘bill of rights’ language after testimony about for-profit hospice concerns

Assemblywoman Rebecca Edgeworth, sponsor of Assembly Bill 161, told the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services on May 13 that the bill responds to “the appalling state of hospices in Nevada,” citing a rapid increase in licensed hospice providers and reports of inadequate care.

Assemblywoman Edgeworth, a physician representing District 35, said the shift from mostly nonprofit hospices toward a proliferation of for-profit companies in recent years has created what she described as “fraud and abuse” and lowered standards of care for dying patients. She told the committee that some operators have exploited reporting thresholds by keeping client counts under reporting triggers and that families sometimes learn only belatedly that their loved ones are enrolled in hospice.

Dan Musgrove, a consultant for Nathan Adelson Hospice, described the sponsor’s narrowed bill as focused on a patient and family “bill of rights.” Musgrove said the measure requires written informed consent that spells out the types of hospice services patients should expect, contact hours and phone numbers, and advance notice if a hospice will cease providing care. Musgrove told the committee the bill would require providers to maintain a record that information was provided so regulators can review compliance.

Testimony in support included representatives from the ACLU of Nevada, the Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, faith leaders and hospice providers. Catherine Nielsen of the Governor’s Council said the bill would “help ensure that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their guardians are included in decisions.” Kim Anderson Mackay, an administrator for Amore Hospice Care, said her organization supported the bill “100% as written.”

Committee discussion acknowledged that the bill had been pared back from a larger package that would have added additional inspections and regulatory authority; the sponsor and proponents said those inspection and enforcement provisions were deferred because they would have carried a fiscal note. Edgeworth said she intends to pursue further measures in later sessions if needed.

Action: The committee voted to amend and do pass AB161 and added Vice Chair Taylor as a cosponsor. The transcript does not show a detailed roll-call tally for the final vote; the committee assigned the floor statement to Sen. Taylor.

Ending: Supporters said the bill is a first step toward addressing complaints about for-profit hospice operations and improving transparency and consent for patients and families.