Trends in State Palliative Care Legislation Across the U.S.
In an article published in JAMA Health Forum, CAPC’s Stacie Sinclair, MPP, and co-authors analyzed state-level palliative care legislation from 2009 to 2023 to understand trends and policy priorities. They learned that states introduced 819 palliative care–related bills and enacted 243, most often addressing quality standards, public awareness, and payment. Legislative activity was highest in the Northeast and lowest in the Midwest, and often reflected broader state capacity for palliative care—aligning with higher-performing states in CAPC’s Serious Illness Scorecard. This study demonstrates that state palliative care laws have increased over the past 15 years, but policy and regional gaps persist.