2021, Hospice care and Medicare - Home Care & Hospice Network

CMS: Concurrent Hospice Care Improves Quality, Reduces Costs

Hospice News

NOVEMBER 7, 2023

Allowing patients to receive concurrent hospice and curative care reduces health care costs and improves quality. Initially slated to complete in 2020, CMS later extended it until December 2021. Initially slated to complete in 2020, CMS later extended it until December 2021. The agency launched the MCCM in 2016.

Hospice care

Hospice care Hospice Medicare 2016

Federal Officials Call for Stronger Medicare Advantage Oversight

Hospice News

JUNE 29, 2022

Congressional legislators are casting doubts on regulatory oversight of Medicare Advantage plans over concerns about spending, claims denials, and end-of-life care. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) or any Medicare Advantage plans spoke at this hearing. No representatives from the U.S.

Medicare

Medicare 2025 2017 2021

How Medicare Budget Neutrality Impacts Hospice Payment

Hospice News

AUGUST 26, 2022

Medicare reimbursement is the lifeblood of hospice providers, and a clear understanding of policies like budget neutrality can help elucidate the payment systems that keep their businesses running. The clearest example of how this works was the 2020 rebasing of payments for the four levels of hospice care.

Medicare

Medicare 2016 Hospice Social worker

How Former President Carter Helped Shape Hospice Care

Hospice News

AUGUST 17, 2023

As Jimmy Carter marks his sixth month in hospice care, 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.

Hospice care

Hospice care Hospice Demo Medicare

Asian-American Communities Face ‘Digital Divide’ in Health Equity, Hospice Care

Hospice News

OCTOBER 1, 2024

The data come at a time when hospices are striving to better understand how to improve those groups’ end-of-life trajectories. Technology utilization has gained momentum in health care, including in hospice care delivery. Coupled with the telehealth disparities are inequities pertaining to hospice care.

Hospice care

Hospice care Hospice Social worker Information

Hospice Advocacy Groups Ask Congress for Action on Proposed 2023 Medicare Rates

Hospice News

JULY 13, 2022

More than a dozen hospice advocacy groups have called on congressional leadership to intervene in a proposed 2.7% bump in Medicare payments, which they say is insufficient in light of COVID-19 and staffing headwinds. Compensation costs for the health care and social assistance industry rose nearly 4.4

Medicare

Medicare 2023 Hospice Palliative care

St. Croix Expands in Illinois, Acquires Lexington Hospice Care

Hospice News

JUNE 1, 2022

Croix Hospice has acquired Lombard, Ill.-based based Lexington Hospice Care. 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.

Hospice care

Hospice care Hospice 2018 2021

The First Year of Hospice VBID Is the Hardest for Payers and Providers

Hospice News

OCTOBER 13, 2023

Implementation of the Medicare Advantage hospice carve-in has been challenging for both payers and providers, though a recent analysis indicates that it may get easier over time. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) commissioned the RAND Corp. CMS launched the carve-in in 2021.

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2021 Hospice 2022 Medicare

Why Hospice Utilization Rates Have Fallen

Hospice News

JANUARY 25, 2024

National hospice utilization rates have fallen since 2020, though the total number of patients served remains consistent. The aging population continues to increase, so even as the percentage of patients served decreases, the total number of patients served increases,” Ware told Hospice News. In 2021, 1.71 About 47.3%

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Hospice 2020 2021 Medicare

MedPAC to Congress: Freeze Hospice Rates in 2025

Hospice News

MARCH 15, 2024

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has recommended to Congress a freeze on hospice payment increases starting in 2025. In its annual report to Congress, MedPAC urged policymakers to eliminate hospice base-rate increases for 2025. The 2021 aggregated Medicare hospice margin was 13.3%, according to MedPAC.

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2025 2002 Hospice Medicare

U.S. Health Care Expenditures to Reach $7.1 Trillion by 2031; Hospice Spending to Double by 2032

Hospice News

JUNE 14, 2023

Meanwhile, Medicare hospice spending is expected to more than double by 2032. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of the Actuary also project that health care expenditures will represent 19.6% The report, published today in Health Affairs , did not contain hospice-specific data.

Medicare

Medicare Hospice 2022 2021

Hospice’s Post-VBID Value-Based Outlook

Hospice News

AUGUST 15, 2024

The post-Medicare Advantage hospice carve-in landscape could include wider value-based reimbursement avenues in the hospice space, leading providers to pivot into MA payer relationships. The forthcoming end of the hospice component of the value-based insurance design (VBID) demonstrative takes effect Dec.

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Demo 2030 2025 Medicare

Compassus Finalizes Partnership to Form OhioHealth at Home

Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 4, 2024

The partnership will allow for better care transitions among chronic and seriously ill patients, according to Compassus CEO Mike Asselta. “We Compassus provides home health, home infusion, palliative and hospice care across 30 states. Compassus’ 7,000 employees care for more than 120,000 patients annually.

Medicare

Medicare Care coordination Care coordinator 2021

MedPAC Calls for Freeze on Hospice Payment Rates

Hospice News

JANUARY 12, 2024

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has voted to recommend a freeze on hospice payment increases starting in 2025. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The 2021 aggregated Medicare hospice margin was 13.3%, according to MedPAC.

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2025 Hospice Medicare End-of-life care

CMS to Sunset Hospice VBID in 2024

Hospice News

MARCH 4, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will end the hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID) as of Dec. Often called the “hospice carve-in,” the program was designed to test coverage of hospice care through Medicare Advantage, in addition to some coverage of palliative care and transitional care.

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2024 Hospice Demo Medicare

Health Plan Participation in Hospice VBID to Shrink in 2024

Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

Health plan participation in the hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID) will fall in 2024. For calendar year 2024, 13 Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) will participate in the program’s hospice component, providing coverage through 78 health plans in 19 states. million in 2023.

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2024 Medicare Hospice 2030

State Legislators Mulling Bill Allowing LPNs to Make Death Pronouncements

Hospice News

JULY 16, 2024

The Pennsylvania state Senate has approved a bill proposing to expand staffing requirements around death proclamations to include a wider breadth of hospice clinicians. If enacted, the legislation would allow licensed practical nurses (LPNs) providing hospice care to make death pronouncements. Census Bureau.

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2017 Registered Nurse 2019 End-of-life care

Adena Health, ASHN Form Hospice, Home Health JV

Hospice News

JULY 10, 2024

The JV, branded as Adena Home Health and Hospice, will launch next month, providing care to seriously and terminally ill patients in south central and southern Ohio. This is an exciting and significant step forward in our home health and hospice care delivery,” said Adena Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Shaheed Koury, in a statement.

Hospice

Hospice End-of-life care Medicare 2021

Congress Grills HHS on Hospice Program Integrity

Hospice News

MARCH 21, 2024

Members of Congress are raising questions about the continued Medicare certification for new hospices in areas rife with fraud. Some of these providers engaged in referral kickback schemes, enrolled patients who were not eligible for hospice and lied to them about being terminally ill. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.)

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2010 Hospice Medicare 2024

CMS Extends Hospice VBID Through 2030

Hospice News

MARCH 23, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is extending the value-based insurance design demonstration for calendar years 2025 to 2030, including the hospice component. The hospice component of VBID, also called the MA carve-in, launched in 2021 and was originally slated to complete after four years.

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2030 Demo 2025 Hospice

Advanced Home Care Acquires Dignity Hospice

Hospice News

MAY 25, 2023

Massachusetts-based Advanced Home Care has acquired Dignity Hospice Care for an undisclosed amount. The transaction follows Advanced Home Care’s acquisition of Dignity Home Care late last year. The buyer company’s CEO Art Kalenjian will now take the helm at Dignity Hospice. Census Bureau projections.

Home care

Home care Hospice 2030 2012

Hospices Stepping Up Performance on Visits-in-Last-Days-of-Life Measure

Hospice News

MARCH 14, 2024

In Calendar Year 2021, the share of hospice care 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). Social worker visits in the last days of life also rose to 9% in 2021, up from 7% in 2020.

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Social worker 2017 Registered Nurse Hospice

Canon Healthcare Owner Receives Prison Sentence, $42 Million Fine in Fraud Case

Hospice News

MAY 17, 2024

The court also ordered Akula to repay $42 million in fraudulent Medicare billing claims made between January 2013 and December 2019, which totaled roughly $84 million during that six-year span. The charges included fraudulent claims for physician services and home visits, as well as manipulation of Medicare billing codes.

Healthcare

Healthcare 2013 2016 Medicare

Hospice Carve-In’s Sunset Could Affect Palliative Care

Hospice News

AUGUST 7, 2024

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. Commonly known as the “carve-in,” the program was designed to test hospice care coverage through Medicare Advantage, as well as some coverage of palliative care and transitional care.

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Palliative care Palliate Hospice Homecare

Bristol Hospice Enters Mississippi Market with Mid-Delta Hospice Acquisition

Hospice News

JUNE 21, 2024

Bristol Hospice has acquired Mississippi-based Mid-Delta Hospice, a move that marked its entry into the state. The decision to launch services in a new state came with growing recognition around rising demand for home health and hospice care, according to Bristol Hospice CEO and President Alex Mauricio.

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2006 Hospice 2030 Registered Nurse

Payers to Hospices: Don’t Wait to Start Working with MA Plans

Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Over time, Medicare Advantage plans will likely have a greater presence as hospice payers, and now is the time for providers to build relationships those organizations. Originally slated to end in 2024, CMS recently extended the hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID) to 2023. SCAN is a $4.3

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2026 Hospice Demo Long-term hospice

Fraudulent Hospice Providers May Be Moving Between States

Hospice News

MAY 7, 2024

Beginning in 2021, numerous reports emerged of unethical or illegal practices among hundreds of newly licensed hospices, particularly among new companies popping up in California, Texas, Nevada and Arizona. Thus far, California is the only state to take action on the issue, including a moratorium on hospice licensing.

Hospice

Hospice Medical director Medicare 2023

St. Croix Expands Further in Kansas

Hospice News

APRIL 26, 2023

. “Our new Manhattan branch will headquarter more local staff within the communities they are already serving, allowing us to increase access and convenience to hospice care where there is great need.” A little more than 31,000 Medicare patients in Kansas elected hospice in 2021, according to the U.S.

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2022 2021 Medicare Hospice

VBID Hospices Operate in a ‘Teeter-Totter’ Landscape

Hospice News

AUGUST 21, 2023

Evolving network adequacy requirements within the value-based insurance design (VBID) model demonstration have some hospices concerned that Medicare Advantage payers may have narrowed views on reimbursement and access. And that’s a big concern when it comes to hospice care.” This year the U.S.

Hospice

Hospice Medicare Hospice care 2021

Summit Hospice Settles False Claims Case for $1.05 million

Hospice News

MARCH 13, 2023

OIG alleged in a recent report that Summit Hospice violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by submitting claims to Medicare and Medicaid for non-covered hospice services. HHS-OIG will continue to work with our federal and state partners to ensure that hospice providers are giving their patients the care and comfort they need.”

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Hospice 2018 2021 Medicare

[UPDATED] CMS Finalizes Hospice Special Focus Program, 36-Month Rule

Hospice News

NOVEMBER 1, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized its 2024 home health rule, including the implementation of a hospice Special Focus Program (SFP). The rule also finalizes the proposed “36-month”rule for hospice providers. As a community, we are profoundly disappointed with this decision.”

Hospice

Hospice Medicare 2024 2019

CMS May Be Mulling Changes to the Hospice Benefit

Hospice News

APRIL 8, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2025 proposed hospice rule contained requests for information (RFIs) that could signal changes in the agency’s thinking on key issues. Through RFIs, CMS tries to take the pulse of providers’ positions on certain questions that could impact the Medicare Hospice Benefit.

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2025 Hospice Palliative care Medicare

St. Croix Expands in Midwest with 2 De Novos

Hospice News

APRIL 21, 2023

Croix Hospice cares for over 4,000 patients from more than 60 locations in 10 Midwestern states. “Health care providers have been closing their doors across rural America, and Iowa is no exception,” Kim Kirschbaum, St. .” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). All told St. Census Bureau reported.

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2019 2021 Medicare Hospice care

Hosparus Acquires Baptist Health Deaconess Hospice

Hospice News

JUNE 2, 2023

Hosparus Health Hosparus Health Hosparus CEO David Cook Baptist Health Deaconess Hospice launched in 1993, initially branded as Green River Hospice. In 2021, more than 22,000 Medicare decedents elected hospice care in Kentucky. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

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Hospice Bereavement Grief Medicare

Hospice VBID: Understanding the 2023 Program Modifications

Hospice News

DECEMBER 9, 2022

The hospice component of the value-based insurance design (VBID) model will begin its third year on Jan. Often called the MA hospice carve-in , the voluntary demonstration is designed to assess payer and provider performance related to hospice within Medicare Advantage (MA). We need to be in-network.”.

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2023 Hospice Demo 2021

What New Allegations that HCA Healthcare Pressured Patients Mean for Hospices

Hospice News

JUNE 22, 2023

SEIU analyzed Medicare claims data showing that the average hospice transfer rate among HCA hospital discharges was nearly 40% above the national average in 2021 and represented a 50% growth rate over four years. During the past several years, HCA has closed a number of home health and hospice acquisitions. More than 1.72

Healthcare

Healthcare Hospice Medicare 2021

Compassus Enters Into Hospice, Home Health Partnership with OhioHealth

Hospice News

JUNE 10, 2024

Compassus’ nearly 7,000 employees care for more than 120,000 patients each year in 30 states. “As our teams come together, we’ll continue to focus on patients, partnership and innovation to deliver superior care.” Among the states, Ohio is in the top half when it comes to hospice utilization.

Hospice

Hospice End-of-life care Medicare 2021

Solutions That Make Sense: Why Hospice Benefit Reform Needs to Incorporate Concurrent Care

Hospice News

JUNE 9, 2023

Increasingly, both policymakers and providers are seeing potential opportunities to reform the Medicare Hospice Benefit, including the prospect of concurrent care. Driving these conversations is the need to lighten the nation’s heavy health care spend, which in 2021 reached $4.3 told Hospice News. “If

Hospice

Hospice Medicare Palliative care 2021

Gentiva Settles FCA Claims Against Kindred at Home

Hospice News

JULY 18, 2024

The federal government and the State of Tennessee first filed these complaints against Kindred in 2021 for claims submitted between 2010 and 2020. Gentiva’s parent company, the private equity firm Clayton, Dublier and Rice, acquired a 60% stake Kindred at Home’s hospice assets in 2022 for $2.8 million, with previous owner Humana Inc.

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Reps. Van Duyne, Panetta Introduce Bill to Reform Hospice Special Focus Program

Hospice News

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

The SFP has the authority to impose enforcement remedies against hospices with poor performance based on its algorithm. Hospices flagged by the SFP also will be surveyed every six months rather than the current three-year cycle and could face monetary penalties or expulsion from the Medicare program.

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2027 Hospice Care at home 2019

Hospice Length of Stay: Balancing Patient Needs Against Regulatory Compliance

Hospice News

MARCH 29, 2023

“For a hospice administrator or executive, you really have to be very focused on your length of stay data,” Young told Hospice News in a recent Elevate podcast episode. Are you in an outlier scenario with your data that Medicare contractors are looking at? Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S.

Hospice

Hospice Medicare 2013 2020

CMS Report: Concurrent Hospice, Curative Care a Winning Proposition

Hospice News

APRIL 29, 2022

The Medicare Advantage hospice carve-in has been the focus of much attention among providers, and many are watching closely for the demonstration’s outcomes. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the MCCM in 2016 to explore the idea of allowing hospice patients to receive concurrent curative care.

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Hospice 2016 Demo 2020

CMS Pilot to Conduct Medical Reviews of Hospice Stays Longer than 90 Days

Hospice News

JULY 17, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is conducting a small pilot program for post-payment reviews of hospice stays that exceed 90 days. CMS internal data has identified a potential area of vulnerability beginning with the second benefit period, or 91st day in hospice,” Noridian indicated in an announcement.

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Document Hospice Medicare 2021

New York Governor Vetoes Bill to Limit For-Profit Hospices

Hospice News

JANUARY 3, 2023

It would have prohibited the establishment of for-profit hospices in New York state and forbid current for-profit operators from increasing capacity. . Data suggest that hospice care is underutilized in New York compared to other states, straining other elements of the health care system,” Hochul wrote in her veto.

Hospice

Hospice Medicare Palliative care Palliate

CMS: Concurrent Hospice Care Improves Quality, Reduces Costs

Federal Officials Call for Stronger Medicare Advantage Oversight

Trending Sources

How Medicare Budget Neutrality Impacts Hospice Payment

How Former President Carter Helped Shape Hospice Care

Asian-American Communities Face ‘Digital Divide’ in Health Equity, Hospice Care

Hospice Advocacy Groups Ask Congress for Action on Proposed 2023 Medicare Rates

St. Croix Expands in Illinois, Acquires Lexington Hospice Care

The First Year of Hospice VBID Is the Hardest for Payers and Providers

Why Hospice Utilization Rates Have Fallen

MedPAC to Congress: Freeze Hospice Rates in 2025

U.S. Health Care Expenditures to Reach $7.1 Trillion by 2031; Hospice Spending to Double by 2032

Hospice’s Post-VBID Value-Based Outlook

Compassus Finalizes Partnership to Form OhioHealth at Home

MedPAC Calls for Freeze on Hospice Payment Rates

CMS to Sunset Hospice VBID in 2024

Health Plan Participation in Hospice VBID to Shrink in 2024

State Legislators Mulling Bill Allowing LPNs to Make Death Pronouncements

Adena Health, ASHN Form Hospice, Home Health JV

Congress Grills HHS on Hospice Program Integrity

CMS Extends Hospice VBID Through 2030

Advanced Home Care Acquires Dignity Hospice

Hospices Stepping Up Performance on Visits-in-Last-Days-of-Life Measure

Canon Healthcare Owner Receives Prison Sentence, $42 Million Fine in Fraud Case

Hospice Carve-In’s Sunset Could Affect Palliative Care

Bristol Hospice Enters Mississippi Market with Mid-Delta Hospice Acquisition

Payers to Hospices: Don’t Wait to Start Working with MA Plans

Fraudulent Hospice Providers May Be Moving Between States

St. Croix Expands Further in Kansas

VBID Hospices Operate in a ‘Teeter-Totter’ Landscape

Summit Hospice Settles False Claims Case for $1.05 million

[UPDATED] CMS Finalizes Hospice Special Focus Program, 36-Month Rule

CMS May Be Mulling Changes to the Hospice Benefit

St. Croix Expands in Midwest with 2 De Novos

Hosparus Acquires Baptist Health Deaconess Hospice

Hospice VBID: Understanding the 2023 Program Modifications

What New Allegations that HCA Healthcare Pressured Patients Mean for Hospices

Compassus Enters Into Hospice, Home Health Partnership with OhioHealth

Solutions That Make Sense: Why Hospice Benefit Reform Needs to Incorporate Concurrent Care

Gentiva Settles FCA Claims Against Kindred at Home

Reps. Van Duyne, Panetta Introduce Bill to Reform Hospice Special Focus Program

Hospice Length of Stay: Balancing Patient Needs Against Regulatory Compliance

CMS Report: Concurrent Hospice, Curative Care a Winning Proposition

CMS Pilot to Conduct Medical Reviews of Hospice Stays Longer than 90 Days

New York Governor Vetoes Bill to Limit For-Profit Hospices

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