Aligning policy objectives and payment design in palliative care

Payment models for palliative care vary across nations, with few adopting contemporary payments designs that apply to other parts of the health system.

To propose optimal payment arrangements for palliative care.

Review of relevant literature on funding mechanisms in health care generally and palliative care in particular.

Payment models for palliative care should move toward activity-based funding using an agreed classification, be uncapped funding with performance monitoring, and make explicit use of performance metrics and reporting.

If palliative care is to become a universally accessible service, new approaches to funding, based on the experience of funding reforms in other parts of the health system, need to be adopted.