Requires that an individual's caregiver be present when healthcare decisions are discussed with the hospice team. It would also prevent a denial of home hospice care because of age or income.
Summary
S0680 amends Rhode Island’s laws on consent to medical and surgical care by creating a new section specifically for hospice care. It gives a patient recommended for hospice services the right to have a caregiver present when hospice services are explained before the patient consents, and it directs that, if practical, the caregiver be present when the hospice team discusses medical decisions with the patient. The bill also requires that the caregiver receive information about the patient’s medications and treatment, including how hospice enrollment is expected to affect those services.
The bill further states that a hospice patient must have access to visiting nurse care at home and may not be excluded from those services because of age or income limitations. In effect, it adds patient- and caregiver-centered protections to hospice decision-making and home-based hospice access, while limiting the ability of providers to deny visiting nurse services based on financial status or age.
Impact
This act would add a new statutory right within chapter 23-4.6 governing consent to medical and surgical care, specifically for hospice patients and their caregivers. It would require hospice providers and healthcare teams to include caregivers in hospice discussions when possible, share medication and treatment information with caregivers before consent, and ensure that home visiting nurse care is not denied on the basis of age or income. The practical impact is to expand procedural protections for hospice enrollment and to reinforce access to home hospice-related services for eligible patients.
Sentiment
The available record suggests broad support and little to no opposition. The bill passed the Senate unanimously on June 5, 2025, by a vote of 34-0, indicating strong bipartisan or cross-party agreement. No committee transcript is available, but the unanimous vote and the bill’s patient-access framing suggest a generally favorable sentiment toward improving hospice decision-making and access to care.
Contention
No significant points of contention are reflected in the available materials. The main policy choices embedded in the bill are the extent of caregiver involvement in hospice discussions and the prohibition on denying visiting nurse care based on age or income. If any concerns existed, they are not captured in the provided record, and the unanimous passage suggests those issues did not generate visible opposition during floor consideration.