A Senate bill reintroduced on September 18, 2025 aims to expand access to critical advance care planning (ACP) services in Medicare that allow people, especially those with serious illness, to plan for their care and have their choices honored.

The “Improving Access to Advance Care Planning Act,” reintroduced by Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), will:

“Planning ahead can bring clarity to the often nuanced and complicated issues that sometimes arrive in critical healthcare situations or at end-of-life. Improving access to cost-effective care planning that all Americans need, as this bill will do, will bring peace of mind to millions of older adults and their family members,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge, in the press release issued by Sen. Warner’s office.  “What’s more, because our nonprofit and mission-driven members deliver care across all aging services settings, LeadingAge recognizes the importance of acknowledging the preferences and beliefs of people and their families to deliver quality care. We hope greater access to these conversations will improve serious illness care through the end-of-life and help providers meet unique patient needs.”