The Goals of Care Coalition of New Jersey (GOCCNJ) plays a unique and vital role in improving care for older individuals and those living with serious or advanced illness, especially the underserved and most vulnerable. Serving as a catalyst for changes in policy and practice in NJ, we build relationships with and convene key stakeholders and policy makers, advocate to improve access to advance care planning, palliative and hospice care services at the state level, and serve as a resource for those who want accurate, objective information about quality palliative and end-of-life care in NJ.
As a member of the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (CTAC), we join other states and actively work towards transforming health care in order to achieve our shared vision that “All Americans with serious illness, especially the sickest and most vulnerable, receive comprehensive, high-quality, person-centered care that is consistent with their goals and values and honors their dignity.” Together with CTAC, GOCCNJ advocates for federal policies that improve the lives of people with serious illness and those who matter most to them and have committed to advancing health equity and tackling long-standing disparities in serious illness care.
Learn more about GOCCNJ’s current policy priorities that will increase access to palliative and end-of-life care for all people in NJ with serious illness, regardless of race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or where the care is delivered.
Contact us to join our advocacy efforts and improve care for people in NJ with serious illness.
2022 Policy Priorities
In collaboration with our members and partners, GOCCNJ works to ensure that all individuals living in NJ with serious illnesses, especially those who are underserved and under-resourced, have access to high-quality palliative and end-of-life care. We are committed to addressing barriers to high-quality serious illness care and promoting equity to ensure that all patients in NJ with complex medical needs or serious illness get the care they need and no less, and the care they want and no more.
I. Medicaid Coverage of Community-Based Palliative Care (CBPC)
By 2025, ensure that NJ’s Medicaid plan provides reimbursement for a package of CBPC services for beneficiaries with serious illness. GOCCNJ supports:
- Medicaid waivers, state plan amendments, legislation, and other avenues that fund the provision of medically related and non-medical social services that have an impact on health outcomes for people with serious illness as well as legislation that will mandate these services as an essential health benefit for NJ Medicaid beneficiaries living with serious illnessDefinitions and standards that ensure an equitable approach to care
- Public awareness strategies that ensure people living with serious illness and their caregivers understand what CBPC is and how to access it
II. Workforce
- To strengthen and expand the workforce to better care for people with serious illnesses, GOCCNJ supports:
- Expanded workforce training to ensure the workforce’s capacity to deliver services through career development.
- Policies that will enhance professional education and engagement, increase the size of the workforce, and improve the quality and breadth of clinical training.
- Training on serious illness issues in certain medical and health education schools, and development of new curricula on advance care planning and end-of-life care for continuing education.
NJ State Reports on End-of-Life Care
Justice in Aging – Building an Equitable Medicaid HCBS Infrastructure in New Jersey for Older Adults
NJ Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services – State Strategic Plan On Aging
DOH – NJ Governor’s Advisory Council on End-of-Life Care Report and Recommendations
NJHCQI – End-of-Life Strategic Plan for New Jersey
MSNJ – New Jersey Healthcare Executive Leadership Academy 2018
NJ Laws
Palliative Care and Hospice Care Consumer and Professional Information and Education Program
The purpose of the program is to maximize the effectiveness of palliative care and hospice care initiatives in the State by ensuring that comprehensive and accurate information and education about palliative care and hospice care are available to the public, to health care providers, and to health care facilities.
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act
Optimal end-of-life care requires a physician to be able to diagnose, prognosticate, establish goals of care with the patient based on the prognosis, and then provide treatment to best respect and effectuate the mutually agreed upon goals of care. There are only two one-year palliative care fellowships in New Jersey: one at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and one at the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Due to the shortage of palliative care fellowship programs in New Jersey, there is a growing need and opportunity for improvement in end-of-life care. As such, there is a need for physicians specializing in palliative care to effectively communicate with patients and their families on advance care planning, end-of-life care, and informed consent discussions.
Requires Emergency Departments Develop and Implement Palliative Care Plan
Requires that emergency departments of general hospitals in the State develop and implement a plan to integrate the provision of palliative care services for patients treated in the emergency department for whom palliative care is appropriate.
Establishes Public Awareness Campaign
Requires the Commissioner of Health to establish a public awareness campaign designed to foster community-wide discussions and to promote early conversations about advance care planning and patient preferences to improve decision-making about end-of-life care. Encouraging early conversations about these topics will increase awareness of advance care planning resources and will help ensure better alignment between a patient’s wishes and the care they receive at the end-of-life.
NJ Legislation To Watch
| Bill Number | Bill Summary |
| A2387 | This bill requires long-term care facilities to annually review residents’ proxy directives. |
| A3210 | Establishes the Working Group on End-of-Life Care and Palliative Care in DOH. |
| A1897 | Requires long-term care facilities to offer residents opportunity to update emergency contact information and to discuss medical needs. |
| A3330 | Establishes “Long-Term Care Facility Infectious Disease Preparedness and Home Health Care Study Commission.” |
| A524 | Provides gross income tax credit to certain taxpayers who pay for certain inhome services through health care service firm. |
| A1169 | Requires discrimination prevention training for certain providers of services to senior citizens. |
| A1514 | Requires each nursing home to employ patient advocate. |
| A4002 | Establishes program for certain individuals to become certified homemaker-home health aides and provide services to certain Medicaid and Medicaid-Medicare dually eligible enrollees under increased reimbursement rates |
| A4049 | Provides for presumptive eligibility for home and community-based services under Medicaid. |
| A3978 | Authorizes home care for individuals who are disabled or elderly and requires health insurance coverage therefor. |
| A2256 | Requires Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services in DHS to accept permanent change of station order for purposes of satisfying residency requirement for provision of home and community based services under certain circumstances. |