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

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

JANUARY 31, 2024

The Texas-based home health and hospice company VitalCaring Group was built largely through acquisitions, and the company expects to step up that strategy in 2024 with an emphasis on hospice. We’re very well-poised going into 2024 to start executing on our growth strategy. We did a couple of acquisitions last year.

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Hospice News

JANUARY 11, 2024

Finding the right balance of support and career development for bereavement care professionals is key to recruitment and retention as hospices combat labor strains. The weight of providing bereavement care can take a heavy toll on staff and impact turnover rates, according to Jennifer Kincaid, chief people officer at Hospice of the Piedmont.

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OCTOBER 10, 2024

Two individuals in California have been arrested for their roles in a $54 million scheme to defraud Medicare for hospice and diagnostic testing. From March 2019 to August 2024, these companies allegedly submitted more than $54 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for services that were never provided and not needed.

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Hospice News

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Amid intensified regulatory scrutiny, staffing headwinds and shifts towards value-based care, hospices need to ensure that they’ve made a strong commitment to quality and to foster a positive workplace culture, according to hospice leaders. You have better care outcomes,” Molosky said during the Hospice News 2024 Outlook Webinar.

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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

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

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

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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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

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

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

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

NOVEMBER 7, 2024

s (NYSE: EHAB) hospice segment buoyed the company’s Q3 financial results amid losses in its home health business. Consistent sequential gains in Enhabit’s hospice average daily census ADC, coupled with the Fiscal Year 2025 payment increase of 2.9% Hospice ADC rose 6.9% Q3 net service revenue for the hospice segment reached $52.6

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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

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

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

OCTOBER 15, 2024

Careful management of the hospice aggregate cap is key to providers’ sustainability as regulatory scrutiny continues to heat up. The cap is designed to prevent overuse of hospice, put controls on Medicare spending and foster greater access to care among patients. For Fiscal Year 2024, the U.S. In addition, the U.S.

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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

AUGUST 2, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) recently finalized hospice payment rule. The concern, however, is that hospices lack the financial support and incentives needed to bridge barriers, with reimbursement a main point of contention, he said.

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

Quality, compliance and financial stability are top of mind in hospice merger and acquisitions (M&A) as this year comes to an end. Growing demand is among the constants driving investor interest in the hospice space, according to Tom Lillis, partner at the Kentucky-based firm Stoneridge Partners Strategic Consulting.

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