A bipartisan group led by Sen. James Lankford is asking federal health officials to impose new hospice reporting rules tied to physician-assisted suicide, citing patient protections, disability concerns and federal funding restrictions.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., is pressing the Department of Health and Human Services to create new reporting requirements for hospice providers as part of federal oversight of medical aid in dying, also known as physician-assisted suicide.
In a July 9 letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the lawmakers said hospice programs should be required to report information related to physician-assisted suicide so federal officials can better monitor patient safety, informed consent, discrimination risks and compliance with existing law.
The letter was also addressed to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz.
Lankford was joined by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., and Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif. The signers said the issue falls within federal hospice oversight because a large share of patients who receive physician-assisted suicide are enrolled in hospice.
The lawmakers cited Washington state as an example, saying approximately 90% of patients who receive physician-assisted suicide there are hospice patients.
They argued that HHS and CMS have the authority to impose reporting requirements to protect patient health and safety and to ensure federal funds are not used in violation of the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act, which restricts federal funding for assisted suicide.
The lawmakers said additional reporting is needed because physician-assisted suicide raises concerns involving informed consent, discrimination against vulnerable patients and the treatment of older adults and people with disabilities. They also referenced concerns raised by disability rights advocates.
The letter said drugs used in physician-assisted suicide are prescribed off-label because the Food and Drug Administration has not approved any medication specifically for ending a patient’s life.
The lawmakers also warned that physician-assisted suicide could conflict with suicide prevention efforts. They cited research they said shows suicide rates increase in jurisdictions where the practice is legal.
The letter also cited federal data showing more than 50,000 Americans died by suicide in 2024. The lawmakers said people with serious or life-limiting illnesses are at heightened risk of suicide, making stronger safeguards necessary in end-of-life care settings.
The group asked HHS to require hospice providers to report several categories of information connected to physician-assisted suicide. Those categories include discrimination against vulnerable populations, disposal of unused medications, drug complications, prescribing practices for off-label medications used in assisted suicide, insurance coverage decisions and compliance with federal funding restrictions.
The lawmakers said expanded reporting would allow HHS and CMS to monitor assisted suicide practices within hospice programs while helping ensure patients receive end-of-life care without coercion or discrimination.
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