or

Call Governor Hochul’s Office

Phone Number: (518) 474-8390

Phone call talking points:

1. Introduction

• State your name, where you live (city/town), and your role (e.g., hospice administrator, hospice professional, caregiver, family member, advocate). 

• Example: 
  “Hello, my name is [Name], and I live in [Town/City]. I am [a hospice administrator/ nurse / a family member who has benefited from hospice / a concerned New Yorker]. I’m calling to urge Governor Hochul to sign A565/S3437, the Hospice Care Integrity and Oversight Act 
  
  

2. The Bill’s Purpose 

• A565/S3437 would prohibit new for-profit hospice providers from being established or expanded in New York State. 

• It is a protective measure to ensure hospice care remains focused on quality, compassion, and dignity—not profit. 

• Importantly, this bill does not close existing for-profit hospices; it simply prevents future ones while oversight systems are strengthened. 
  
  

3. Why It’s Needed Now 

• Nationwide investigations have linked for-profit hospice ownership trends in rampant fraud, abuse, and patient harm. 

• States like California, Nevada, and Arizona have already had to enact major reforms after for-profit entities destabilized care. 

• Expanding access to hospice is critical and must be done in a way that safeguards its’ vulnerable residents. 

• New York has the chance to act proactively and avoid those same harms. 

• The bill aligns directly with New York’s new Master Plan on Aging, which prioritizes stronger consumer protections and hospice oversight.
  
  

4. Why Access Won’t Be Harmed
   

• The challenges to hospice access in New York are not due to too few providers, but to referral barriers, cultural factors, and workforce shortages. 

• Research shows for-profit hospices often: 

• • Discharge more patients before death, 

• • Deliver fewer interdisciplinary services, 

• • Score lower on quality measures. 

• • More for-profit providers would not improve access—and could make workforce shortages worse. 
    
    

5. Closing Request

• Ask clearly for action: 
  “Governor Hochul, please sign A565/S3437 into law. It is a commonsense, bipartisan measure that will protect patients, families, and the integrity of hospice care in New York.” 
  
  

6. Thank You

• End respectfully: 
  “Thank you for your time and for your leadership on protecting New Yorkers at life’s most vulnerable moments.” 
  
  

 Tip: Keep your call polite and brief (2–3 minutes). Personal stories – about working in hospice or a loved one’s experience – are powerful.