Health Care Reform and Concurrent Curative Care for Terminally Ill Children: A Policy Analysis

Area of Science:

• Health Policy
• Pediatric Palliative Care
• Healthcare Law

Background:

• The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 introduced a provision for concurrent curative care.
• This provision impacts terminally ill children enrolled in Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Plans (CHIP) hospice benefits.
• Concurrent curative care allows simultaneous treatment for the terminal condition and palliative care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a policy analysis of the concurrent curative care legislation for terminally ill children.
• To examine the policy's goals of improving access to and quality of end-of-life care.
• To explore the political feasibility of implementing concurrent curative care at the state level.

Main Methods:

• Policy analysis of the concurrent curative care legislation within the ACA.
• Examination of legislative intent regarding access and quality of care.
• Assessment of state-level implementation feasibility.

Main Results:

• The federal policy for concurrent curative care for children is generally expected to achieve its intended goals.
• The policy is anticipated to enhance access to and quality of end-of-life care for terminally ill children.
• Identified policy omissions highlight the need for additional federal legislation for pediatric end-of-life care.

Conclusions:

• The concurrent curative care provision in the ACA is a positive step for terminally ill children.
• Further federal action is necessary to comprehensively address end-of-life care needs for children.
• The findings have significant implications for nurses involved in pediatric palliative and end-of-life care.