Hospice News

JANUARY 19, 2024

Though the number of hospice M&A deals plummeted in 2023 compared to prior years, deals are still being made, and the industry may see a rebound in 2024. Transaction volume declined in the hospice and home-based care space in 2023, following the two record-breaking prior years. This followed its $5.4 NYSE: HUM) for $2.8

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 8, 2023

Hospice providers will be looking to Congress in 2024 to address issues related to program integrity, quality improvement and industry-wide workforce pressures. As legislative efforts develop, hospices may want to focus their attention on a few key legislators.

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 9, 2024

Hospice News explores the issues garnering growing attention in end-of-life care delivery in seven of this years hidden gem stories. Topics span trends related to program integrity, workforce development, health equity, service diversification and the keys to hospices growth strategies. Optum completed its $5.4

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Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

Growth in the number of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries will likely overtake that for traditional Medicare in 2025, according to new estimates from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). million as of September 2024. The hospice component of VBID is slated to end on Dec. This is up from 34.3

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Hospice News

OCTOBER 9, 2023

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.

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 2, 2023

Greater transparency in staff evaluation processes and increased education will be keys to navigating a range of hospice compliance challenges in a post-pandemic landscape. Transparency around hospice staffing and ownership is a large focus of program integrity efforts among regulators, Piland stated. On Wednesday, the U.S.

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Hospice News

MARCH 31, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) late Friday released the 2024 proposed payment rule for hospice providers. In it, CMS proposed to update hospice payments by 2.8%, which includes a market-basket percentage increase of 3% and a 0.2 percentage point productivity adjustment. set for 2023.

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Hospice News

JUNE 27, 2024

Hospices have been advocating for lawmakers and regulators to take action on curbing fraud, supporting veterans and bolstering the health care workforce. Battling fraud Reports of unethical or illegal practices have surged, particularly among hundreds of newly certified hospices in California, Texas, Nevada and Arizona. Recently Rep.

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

This year has brought both tumultuous challenges and evolving opportunities for hospices that will steer hospice leadership during 2024. Hospice News spoke with a group of industry leaders about the most impactful forces that will shape the space in the coming year. Hospice care reduces Medicare expenditures by about $3.5

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Hospice News

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

Amedisys (NASDAQ: AMED) is pushing forward on palliative care growth in 2024 through its innovation arm, Contessa. Expanding palliative care relationships and joint venture partnerships is a priority for 2024, the Louisiana-based home health and hospice provider indicated in a filing with the U.S. million beneficiaries.

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Hospice News

JANUARY 2, 2024

After a rocky year for M&A, two of the publicly traded hospice providers are poised to pursue more deals in 2024. While the majority of the hospice industry is not publicly traded, the actions of those large companies can have an impact on smaller organizations that are on the hunt for deals. Its hospice segment earned $53.1

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Hospice News

JANUARY 29, 2024

Rising demand In 2024, demand will continue to rise, driven by a number of factors. Countering this however, is the need for greater education for all stakeholders on the nature of these services and how they are distinct from hospice. But whatever the future holds, such a benefit is unlikely to come to fruition during 2024.

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Hospice News

MAY 31, 2023

Citing inflation and other headwinds, hospice providers and industry organizations are urging the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reconsider the proposed 2.8% base rate increase for 2024. In public comments on the proposal, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) called for a 3.7%

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Hospice News

APRIL 5, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will allow hospice patients to receive concurrent care through the Medicare Advantage hospice carve-in, and will permit health plans to further restrict utilization of out-of-network providers. Further changes will occur in the larger model during the extension years.

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Hospice News

APRIL 3, 2023

The 2024 proposed hospice rule from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) signals the agency’s earliest response to widespread calls to bolster program integrity within the benefit. We should anticipate increased emphasis on program integrity in the hospice program.” In additional to a 2.8%

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 21, 2023

Two of the nation’s largest hospice and home-based care industry organizations are merging and have announced a combined board that will guide the transition. Recently, many of those efforts have included advocacy around program integrity within the Medicare Hospice Benefit. Lloyd, president and CEO, Delaware Hospice, Inc.

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 4, 2023

After the tumultuous years of the pandemic, VITAS Healthcare expects a stable growth trajectory heading into 2024. Though the company has not yet released financial guidance for 2024, VITAS anticipates a “predictable” 2024 in terms of earnings and growth, executives said at Monday’s Bank of America Healthcare Conference.

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Hospice News

AUGUST 15, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is making significant changes in 2024 to the Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health (ACO REACH) payment model. In 2024, participants that achieve certain benchmarks will receive bonuses on a graduated scale based on their performance.

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Hospice News

JUNE 7, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has updated its guidance on the recently implemented hospice certifying physician Medicare enrollment requirement. That instruction, if implemented, could have resulted in major negative impacts on hospices and the patients and families they serve.

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Hospice News

MAY 3, 2023

Federal regulators are cracking down on the private insurers that administer Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began giving plans more flexibility around the definition of “primarily health-related.” The rule included an increase to MA payment of 3.32% for 2024.

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Hospice News

JULY 28, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is giving hospices a 3.1% increase to their per diem payments for 2024, according to a final rule published Friday. That will translate to a $780 million bump to hospice payments next year compared to Fiscal Year 2023, according to CMS. for next year, up from $32,486.92

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Hospice News

OCTOBER 3, 2023

Hospice will continue to be in a state of flux this year and next, with a heavy focus on regulation and supporting and growing the workforce, according to Ben Marcantonio, COO and interim CEO for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). What else is top of mind for you as you’re looking ahead to 2024?

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Hospice News

APRIL 26, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has delayed the implementation of hospice certifying physician Medicare enrollment requirements. CMS delayed the date to enroll in or opt out of Medicare until June 3 for physicians who certify hospice services.

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Hospice News

JANUARY 31, 2024

Palliative care, pediatric end-of-life care and end-of-life doula (EOLD) services are top of mind for hospices that are diversifying their services in 2024. There’s going to be so much change around value-based care coming in some way, shape or form for hospices,” Kudner told Hospice News. But it goes both ways.

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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). For this year, CMS increased the hospice base rate by 3.1%. set in 2023.

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 12, 2023

Program integrity issues that have heated up in the hospice space during the past five years reached a boiling point in 2023. Hospice providers have seen an array of increased regulatory oversight in 2023. There is scrutiny on hospice care [that’s] setting the stage for the next phase of what hospice oversight looks like.

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Hospice News

MARCH 8, 2024

Tightened regulation in the hospice space has led to longer, more stringent diligence processes when it comes to buying and selling provider companies. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has honed in on hospice program integrity through a number of new regulations, including some in the agency’s 2024 hospice final rule.

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Hospice News

MARCH 26, 2024

Though many expect a hospice M&A rebound in 2024, the scales are tipping in favor of home health companies among buyers. After 2023’s slump, PE firms have been sitting on more than $800 million in dry powder, according to data shared with Hospice News by The Braff Group. But additional data point to a resurgence.

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Hospice News

MARCH 21, 2024

Members of Congress are raising questions about the continued Medicare certification for new hospices in areas rife with fraud. Though he pledged more detailed responses at a later date, Becerra told lawmakers that CMS is certifying hospices in markets where there is a need identified in the community. “I This prompted the U.S.

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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.

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Hospice News

JULY 30, 2024

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

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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. It makes sense.

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Hospice News

AUGUST 25, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2024 updates to the Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health (ACO REACH) model: care coordination, managing health equity-related risks and social determinants of health. Hospices that have joined ACOs are able to participate in ACO REACH directly.

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Hospice News

OCTOBER 11, 2023

NYSE: HUM) CEO Bruce Broussard will step down in late 2024, with incoming COO and president Jim Rechtin on deck to succeed him. 8, 2024 and will take the helm following Broussard’s departure. Humana is the second-largest operator of Medicare Advantage plans, representing 18% of that market, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

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Hospice News

MARCH 24, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) decision to extend the value-based insurance design (VBID) model through 2030: patients’ social needs, health equity and improved care coordination. Originally set to run between 2021 and 2024, CMS indicated yesterday that it would invest five additional years in the demonstration.

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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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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 14, 2023

Investment trends in the hospice industry have meandered in recent years, impacting providers’ approaches to growth in 2024. The mix of hospice buyers has become more diverse during the past five years to include more private equity investors, large health and hospital systems and home health companies, along with payers.

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