Improving Access to Transfusion Care for Hospice Patients Act of 2025

This bill tells Medicare’s Innovation Center to try a new payment model so that blood transfusions for people in hospice can be paid for separately, instead of being bundled into the daily hospice rate. The goal is to make it easier for hospice patients who need transfusions to get them without leaving hospice care. The test must start within one year of the law taking effect, and the separate payment would be the same amount Medicare would normally pay if the transfusion weren’t part of hospice care .

The test will be studied by comparing patients in the model to similar patients not in it. The review will look at things like hospital and ER use in the last month of life, ICU days, chemotherapy in the last two weeks, days on hospice before death, and how often patients receive transfusions. The Innovation Center may also examine other related areas to see if the change helps patients and reduces stressful end-of-life hospital visits .

• Who is affected: People on Medicare who are receiving hospice care and may need blood transfusions .
• What changes: Medicare will test paying separately for transfusions during hospice, instead of including them in the daily hospice payment .
• When: The test model must be set up and running within one year after the law is enacted .