There are at least 13 million adults in the U.S. living with a serious, potentially life-limiting illness. This population tends to be high utilizers of health care services, with unmanaged symptoms (such as shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea, and anxiety) accounting for at least 20% of emergency department visits and hospital admissions. Palliative care is a medical specialty that manages the symptoms and stresses of serious illness, and sufficient evidence shows that palliative care significantly reduces emergency department visits, hospital admissions, ICU admissions, and hospital length-of-stay. In this session, we will review the latest evidence of palliative care's impact on health care utilization and some of the strategies that Medicare Advantage and commercial health insurers are using to improve enrollee connection to palliative care services.
As a result of attending this session, attendees will be able to:
Describe palliative care and the characteristics of patients most likely to benefit from palliative care services
Compare and contrast total cost of care for decedents with and without palliative care
Formulate plans and scenarios to support strategic decision-making