Racial Disparities in Hospice Care

WHEREAS, Hospice care is a critical component of compassionate end-of-life care that focuses on comfort, dignity, and support for patients and their families; and

WHEREAS, Extensive research has documented that racial and ethnic minorities — particularly African Americans and Hispanic communities — experience significant disparities in accessing and receiving quality hospice care compared to their white counterparts; and

WHEREAS, These disparities include lower hospice utilization rates, delays in hospice referral, abnormal disruption to family dynamics, and reduced access to culturally sensitive end-of-life care services, often driven by systemic inequities, mistrust of the healthcare system, and socioeconomic factors; and

WHEREAS, Reports from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization highlight that Black and Hispanic patients are less likely to receive hospice care, resulting in unmet needs for pain management, emotional support, and palliative services during critical times, as well as significant strain and stress on the entire family; and

WHEREAS, The Institute of Medicine's 2002 report, Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, underscores that disparities in end-of-life care are not only a matter of health inequity, but also of civil rights, demanding urgent policy intervention and community engagement to ensure that all individuals have access to dignified care at the end of life.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) reaffirms its 2021 Resolution on advocating for and supporting end-of-life planning with a more narrowly focused scope on racial disparities in hospice care.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP calls upon federal, state, and local policymakers to:

1. Mandate comprehensive data collection and transparent reporting on hospice utilization by race and ethnicity to better identify and address disparities.
2. Enhance funding and support for culturally competent hospice and palliative care programs that specifically address the needs of racial and ethnic minority communities.
3. Develop targeted educational campaigns aimed at both healthcare providers and communities to foster trust, awareness, and understanding of hospice care options.
4. Strengthen regulatory oversight to ensure that hospice care organizations adhere to equitable practices and standards of care for all patients.
5. Collaborate with community-based organizations to design and implement innovative programs that reduce barriers to hospice access, including financial, cultural, and informational obstacles.
6. Reject the allocation of healthcare resources based solely on the use of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), which can be discriminatory towards those living with disabilities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP urges the healthcare industry to invest in research and evidence-based and best practices that promote health equity in end-of-life care, ensuring that every individual, regardless of race or ethnicity, receives compassionate, high-quality hospice care.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this Resolution be disseminated to key stakeholders in healthcare, policy, and community advocacy as a call to action to eliminate racial disparities in hospice care and to honor the dignity of all individuals in their final stages of life.