Author: Judy Thomas

In California, we need to begin creating and implementing standards for palliative care sooner rather than later, due in part to a new state law. SB 1004, approved by the California legislature in 2014, requires the state’s low-income health plan, Medi-Cal, to provide access to palliative care services.

Sometimes seen as the step before hospice, palliative care is actually appropriate at any stage of a serious illness. Unlike hospice — which requires that treatment stop – palliative care can be offered while a cure is pursued.