Only four states have effective strategies in place to improve access to and knowledge of palliative care services, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network reported.
The ACS CAN awarded top scores (5-6 points) to Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island using a scoring system that combines grades from the Center to Advance Palliative Care’s national palliative care report card with actions on model legislation.
The four states passed laws "this session that focus on improving patient quality of life through palliative care," the ACS CAN noted, with Maryland finally crossing "the finish line with a palliative care bill after a 3-year effort."
The six states on the low end of the scoring range (0-1 points) were Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Mississippi, and Oklahoma, the ACS CAN said in its report.
Palliative care is 1 of 10 legislative priority areas – including comprehensive smoke-free laws, tobacco taxes, restrictions on tanning bed use by minors, improved access to Medicaid, balanced pain policies, and time requirements for physical education in schools – measured by the ACS CAN. The network said that 38 states have reached benchmarks in three or fewer of the 10 areas, and that no states met the benchmarks in more than six areas.
"Many state legislatures are missing opportunities to enact laws and policies that could not only generate new revenue and long-term health savings, but also save lives," the ACS CAN said in a statement.