About Palliative Care

Palliative care means less pain, less stress, and more dignity. It’s specialized medical care for people living with serious illness — at any age and at any stage.

The goal is simple: improve quality of life for patients and families. It can and should be provided alongside treatments aimed at cure.

Why Palliative Care is an Urgent Priority

Demand for palliative care is accelerating as more Americans live longer and are diagnosed with serious illnesses, but access to the care they need hasn’t kept pace.

Improving the quality of those years, not just the quantity, has never been more important.

13M+ Adults

More than 13 million adults in America are living with serious illnesses—numbers that will continue to rise as the population ages.

$4.1 Trillion

Annual U.S. healthcare costs, primarily driven by the treatment of chronic diseases.

1 in 5

Americans will be of retirement age by 2030, placing unprecedented demand on our healthcare system.

~700,000

An estimated 700,000 children are living with serious illnesses that require specialized, compassionate care and support for their families.

A Solution with Dual Benefits

Palliative care improves patient outcomes while delivering significant economic advantages.

Despite its proven value, millions of patients face their hardest days without it. Too often, they endure uncontrolled pain, confusing medical decisions, and avoidable hospital visits simply because palliative care isn’t available where they live. Families are left to shoulder the burden alone.

Better Lives, Longer Lives.

Patients report less suffering, families report greater peace of mind — and in one study, lung cancer patients who received palliative care early lived longer.

Lower Costs, Smarter Care.

Reduces hospital stays and readmissions. Palliative care consultations are associated with 22% lower costs and have been shown to save an average of $3,200 per admission, with savings climbing to $4,200 for patients with cancer.

The Challenge: Gaps in Access and Workforce

Despite proven benefits, millions of Americans are unable to access care. Access is particularly challenging in public and rural health care systems.

Uneven Access

While 83% of hospitals with 50+ beds have teams, access is concentrated in urban centers. It’s estimated that between 5-12% of adults require palliative care, but community-based services remain extremely limited.

Critical Workforce Shortage

There is only one palliative care physician for every 1,200 Americans living with a serious illness. This gap is projected to worsen without investment in workforce development.

Take Action: Expand Palliative Care Now

Patients and families can’t wait.
Neither should we.

Palliative care delivers what patients want and what our healthcare system desperately needs: relief, dignity, and smarter use of resources. The evidence is clear. The model works.

What’s missing is the will to scale it. Expanding access and investing in the workforce isn’t optional — it’s the only path to a healthcare system that is compassionate, effective, and sustainable.

Every day we delay, patients suffer needlessly, families shoulder unbearable burdens and costs rise.

Learn How You Can Help

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A Special Focus

Pediatric Palliative Care

Compassionate, comprehensive care for children and families facing serious illness

It is critical to ensure pediatric patients (estimated to be up to 1% of children) and their families have access to high-quality palliative care. This specialized care aims to anticipate and prevent suffering by addressing the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing of the child. Because the needs of seriously ill infants and children differ from adults, care must be coordinated and family-centered, meeting the needs of patients, parents, and siblings.