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Hospice News spoke with a group of industry leaders about the most pressing market forces and trends that will shape the space during 2025. Their comments carried some common threads, including rising demand for care in the home, continued labor pressures, industry consolidation and intensifying regulatory scrutiny.
Texas-based New Day Healthcare LLC on Monday announced its acquisition of Intrepid USA’s hospice operations in Missouri and in its home state. The deal includes Intrepid’s hospice assets in Joplin and Springfield, Missouri, as well as its locations in Beaumont, Texas. Hospice utilization rates hovered at 49.1% Census Bureau.
New executives have stepped into c-suite and other roles at some of the nations largest hospice organizations as 2025 kicks off. Johnson will oversee the work of Empaths several foundations Suncoast Hospice Foundation, Tidewell Foundation, Hospice of Marion County Foundation and Trustbridge Hospice Foundation.
Palliative care models have been gaining traction in terms of demonstrating cost savings and improved quality for several years running, Farrand said. But palliative providers have long-faced a challenging reimbursement trajectory in supporting their sustainability, she said during Hospice News virtual Palliative Care Outlook Summit.
Croix Hospice has acquired Lombard, Ill.-based based Lexington HospiceCare. In addition to a spate of acquisitions, the Minnesota-based hospice provider has launched three de novos thus far in 2022. This follows six new locations they opened in 2021 and seven during 2020. . Financial terms were undisclosed.
Improved patient and staff satisfaction are among the most significant returns on investment for hospices that are pouring greater resources into trauma-informed training. This is according to Amber Ash, pediatric hospice and palliative care social worker at Ohio-based Hospice of the Western Reserve.
As Jimmy Carter marks his sixth month in hospicecare, the provider community is raising awareness by saluting the former president. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) convened a group of hospice leaders at Times Square in New York City to commemorate Carter’s hospice experience.
The families of patients who received care from nonprofit hospices give their providers higher marks on quality than those who went with for-profits, a RAND Corp. The relative value of nonprofit and for-profit providers has been a longstanding discussion in the hospice community. hospices between 2019 and 2020.
Calls have grown louder for an overhauled design of the Medicare Hospice Benefit, but the path towards change is riddled with contrasting views over regulation, policy and payment structures. One part of the issue is that hospice reimbursement has not kept pace with evolving patient needs, Grant said.
Cameron Muir has been named as the new CMO of the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI). His new title signals the organization’s strategic plans to reshape hospicecare delivery through patient-centered, innovative approaches, according to NPHI CEO Tom Koutsoumpas.
On June 1, LifeTouch Hospice will merge with Arkansas Hospice. Both hospices are owned and operated by the SHARE Foundation, a nonprofit, faith-based organization. The hospice last year served 430 patients in a five-county region of Arkansas. Meanwhile, Arkansas Hospice has fared better.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has unveiled its final 2025 hospice rule, which includes a 2.9% The increase represents an estimated $790 million rise in total hospice payments compared to Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. The finalized hospice cap amount for FY 2025 is $34,465.34, up from $33,494.01 this year. “The
A few hospice executives have recently announced their retirement as new leaders step forward at a number of organizations. Texas-headquartered Addus provides personal care, home health and hospice services in 22 states. Calvert Hospice and Hospice of Charles County in 2023 unified under the organizations current brand.
A rising number of hospices have undergone name changes in recent years, prompting many to consider the elements of an effective rebranding strategy. Hospices should avoid brand names that are too generic or that focus on one particular service line or portion of their geographic footprint.
Given the critical role of family caregivers in home-based care, hospices have a vested interest in expanding their access to support. Families caring for seriously ill loved ones face systemic barriers that could threaten patients’ ability to receive care at home, including at the end of life.
Traditions Health Names SVP of Hospice Operations Traditions Health has appointed Tom Moreland as its new senior vice president of hospice operations. Franklin, Tennessee-headquartered Traditions provides hospice, home health and palliative care as well as consulting services across 18 states.
Though evidence shows that longer hospice stays reduce costs, providers are still walking a regulatory tightrope. On one hand, longer hospice stays can lead to improved patient and family satisfaction and greater cost saving opportunities. Young told Hospice News. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S.
Margin pressures from the proposed cuts to Medicare home health rates could impact palliative care and hospice. The agency cited budget neutrality requirements to explain the cuts, as well as adjustments related to the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), a new payment system introduced in 2020. CMS proposed a 2.7%
The nation’s health care system is lacking in support for caregivers of the terminally ill, who are often left with a heavy financial and logistical burden. Without assistance or relief, these difficulties can impede access to hospice. The California-based company provides palliative care and offers caregiver support group series.
Arizona-based Stoneridge Hospice launched services in 2020 with an aim to address a swelling aging population’s growing need for end-of-life care. Stoneridge Hospice provides home-based hospice and also contracts with other providers to offer facility-based services. Stoneridge Hospice launched in 2020.
Kathy Hochul (D) has vetoed legislation that would have effectively banned new, for-profit hospices in the state. It would have prohibited the establishment of for-profit hospices in New York state and forbid current for-profit operators from increasing capacity. . Utah had the highest rate at 60.7%.
Hospices tend to see an increase in dementia patient admissions as well as home-based utilization following an acquisition by a private equity firm or a publicly traded company. After an acquisition by a public company, hospices saw a 1.4% HCC scores are designed to predict the costs associated with a patient’s care.
Croix Hospice recently acquired Hospice of Siouxland in Iowa and some of Mayo Clinic Health Systems hospice assets in its home state, two moves that stretched its widening footprint across the Midwest. Croix Hospice. The hospice provider is a portfolio company of the private equity firm H.I.G. Croix Hospice team.
The organizations had a prior connection through the Florida Hospice and Palliative Care Association, as well as a joint venture with several other providers, the Responsive Care Solutions Accountable Care Organization (ACO). After closing with Trustbridge, the organization will operate seven hospice brands.
Hospice reimbursement trends influence palliative care payment and delivery. Among the significant changes coming this year is the end of the hospice component of the value-based insurance design (VBID) model, as of Dec. Alivia Supportive Care launched in 2020 as the nonprofit’s home-based palliative care service line.
As hospices prepare for Medicare Advantage, more nonprofits are finding that creating partnerships or entering affiliations will better position themselves for payer negotiations. Nonprofit hospice affiliations have surged in 2022 and 2023. The program also includes components designed to expand access to palliative care.
Kosciusko Home Care & Hospice (KHCH) has merged with Stillwater Hospice amid mounting financial pressures. The two Indiana-based nonprofit hospices joined forces to ensure continued access to end-of-life care in the Kosciusko County area. This brings Stillwater’s staffing ranks to roughly 195 employees.
Francis Reflections Lifestage Care recently opened a new inpatient hospicecare center inside the Melbourne Regional Medical Center. A swelling demand for hospice in the community spurred the unit’s development. Francis Reflections Melbourne Care Center includes a private bathroom and overnight space for loved ones.
Nashville-based Alive Hospice recently responded to speculation that the nonprofit will sell its operations to a for-profit company, a move that has sparked cries of opposition within the local community. A spate of news reports have indicated that Alive Hospice may be up for sale to a publicly traded for-profit entity.
Supreme Court has rejected a petition to hear a False Claims Act (FCA) and anti-kickback case brought against Georgia-Based Bethany Hospice & Palliative Care LLC. FCA cases often hinge on the question of patient eligibility for hospicecare based on a six-month terminal prognosis, often involving a qui tam complaint.
Hospices, in aggregate, are showing improvement on the quality measure for visits in the last days of life. In Calendar Year 2021, the share of hospicecare days with nurse visits in the last seven days of life rose to 63%, up from 62% year over year, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).
Utah-based Canyon Home Health & Hospice recently acquired Uintah Home Health and Hospice for an undisclosed amount, growing its footprint in the Beehive State state. Uintah Home Health and Hospice patients began receiving services under the Canyon umbrella earlier this month. Its hospice utilization rate reached 60.5%
Tidewell Hospice, an affiliate of Empath Health, has enhanced its clinical training program with a simulation lab in its Bradenton, Florida location. The lab is designed to give new hospice clinicians hands-on experience and hone their skills before they go out to engage directly with patients and families.
NASDAQ: PNTG) has acquired Idaho-based Bluebird Home Health, Bluebird Hospice and Bluebird Home Care for an undisclosed sum. Pennant has its sights on multiple potential transactions across its hospice, home health and senior living business lines, the company has indicated in earnings calls. And in 2020, about 54.1%
Hospice referrals appear to be going up. But many patients who get the referral never receive the care due to low health literacy and social determinant of health factors. The company used data from the last quarter of 2020 and the third of 2021. And that means that the the knowledge and awareness of hospicecare is growing.”.
Technology, cost control, and family caregiver support have emerged as cost-saving strategies as headwinds mount for hospice providers. Efficiency has become a watchword in the hospice space. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) raised hospice per diems by 3.8% While we believe the 3.8% 3 cost-saving strategies.
Croix Hospice has acquired Corpore Sano Hospice in Plymouth, Mich., In addition to a spate of acquisitions, the Minnesota-based hospice provider has launched four de novos thus far in 2022. In addition to a spate of acquisitions, the Minnesota-based hospice provider has launched four de novos thus far in 2022.
Charles Home Health and Hospice in Bend, Oregon, have unionized with the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) to negotiate for improved working conditions, compensation and other issues. The home health and hospice provider is part of the St. The push to unionize began in 2020, according to St. Nurses at St.
More than a dozen hospice advocacy groups have called on congressional leadership to intervene in a proposed 2.7% This proposal ultimately jeopardizes the ability of hospices to continue providing access to appropriate, high-quality care to all Americans who need it,” the letter indicated. per diem rate increase.
Kathy Hochul has signed a bill designed to expand awareness of advance care planning, hospice, and palliative care. The new law requires the New York State Department of Health to develop a public awareness campaign to promote advance care planning. That must change.”. About 17.4%
Kansas City-based HospiceCare of America (HCA) was recently acquired by a newly formed holdings company established by the private equity firm Kain Capital LLC. Kain Capital established PERA Holdings as a way to gain a foothold in the hospice market. PERA aims to acquire mid-sized hospice and palliative care companies.
Careful management of hospicecare manager workloads correlates with longer lengths of stay. For many patients length of stay is a week or less, which is too short for them to receive the full benefit of hospicecare. Patient admission times and lengths of stay also have implications for hospices’ revenue streams.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ramped up auditing activity in the space while also sunsetting the hospice component of its value-based insurance design (VBID) model demonstration ahead of its initial expiration. There were just some of the themes percolating among the most-read Hospice News coverage of 2024.
South Dakota-based health system Sandford Health is collaborating with the Good Samaritan Society to serve patients in their homes through a mobile clinic, which among other services offers additional support to patients in hospice. These clinicians partner closely with the nurses in the long term care and assisted living facilities.
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