Outcomes 1. List at least four opportunities where specific changes to the Medicare program can improve access to hospice and palliative care 2. Assess the efforts to date to advance a Medicare payment model for community-based palliative care 3. Recognize new opportunities to collaborate with payers that serve Medicare beneficiaries Hospice and palliative care programs rely heavily on Medicare for financing, and right now, that system is changing rapidly. Faculty from across four major national organizations have come together to explain what is being done to improve both access and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries living with serious illness. This session will start with a basic overview of the Medicare program, describing traditional fee-for-service payment, private payers, and new payment models and entities emerging out of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Faculty will then describe efforts to expand payment opportunities for palliative care, introduce new payment models, and integrate hospice and palliative care within the sizable and growing Medicare Advantage, accountable care, and direct contracting entities, which together now account for the majority of beneficiaries. The session will end by describing coordinated efforts to ensure the quality of care delivered to Medicare beneficiaries facing serious illness. Attendees will leave the session not only fully up to date on Medicare developments relevant to our field but also with some good ideas to pursue for their own programs and organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]