Improving Access to Transfusion Care for Hospice Patients Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill aims to change how Medicare pays for blood transfusions for people in hospice care. Currently, hospice providers receive a set daily amount to cover all care, which often makes expensive treatments like blood transfusions too costly for them to provide.
• If passed, the government would start a test program within one year. Under this test, Medicare would pay for blood transfusions separately, on top of the regular daily hospice payment, at the same rate it pays for patients who are not in hospice.
• The change is intended to help patients with terminal illnesses, such as certain cancers or blood disorders, stay in hospice care longer. Many patients currently have to leave hospice or go to the emergency room just to get a transfusion to manage their symptoms.
• The government will track whether this new payment method helps patients spend more time at home and reduces emergency room visits in their final weeks of life. It will also compare how often hospice patients get transfusions versus patients with similar conditions who are not in hospice.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.