Hospice News

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

of Medicare hospice decedents terminal conditions in 2023, according to a recent joint report by the Alliance and the Research Institute for Home Care. With the] number of Medicare hospice users, we are seeing major increases over years, as you expect with an aging population, Ware said during a recent webinar.

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Hospice News

MARCH 4, 2025

Bill is an icon in the industry and a staunch Medicare beneficiary advocate, always putting patients first and fighting for their rights and benefits. He was instrumental in the development of the Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), which emerged in home health reimbursement in 2000.

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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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Hospice News

OCTOBER 18, 2023

“Aetna remains focused on providing benefits and services to help our members age in the place that is best for them – whether that is with caregivers or without, in a family home or in a senior living community,” Terri Swanson, president of Medicare for Aetna, told Hospice News in an email. “We

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Hospice News

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

A guilty plea has been filed in a hospice fraud scheme that allegedly bilked Medicare for $17 million in false claims. Fichidzhyan was among the five individuals that the FBI arrested in June 2024 in connection with the hospice fraud and money laundering scheme. Justice Department. Justice Department.

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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 agency projects that total MA enrollment will reach 35.7 This is up from 34.3

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 23, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has made public its first cohort for the hospice Special Focus Program (SFP). Finalized in the 2024 home health payment rule, the program is designed to identify poor performing hospices, mandate quality improvement and in some cases impose additional penalties.

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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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Hospice News

DECEMBER 12, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has not responded to congressional concerns about the hospice Special Focus Program (SFP). Set for 2025 implementation, the SFP promises to identify hospices delivering poor quality care and target them for improvement remedies.

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 17, 2024

These waivers were initially set to expire on the same date in 2024 and were extended to allow more time to outline future telemedicine regulations, the DEA and HHS indicated. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), they would not be able to recertify via telehealth. It also includes some exceptions.

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Rehab Realities by Renee Kinder

NOVEMBER 7, 2024

The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) is the system through which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services determines payment rates for services provided by physicians and other healthcare professionals. This year’s Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule was released last Friday (Nov.

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

Though hospice deal volume has grown quarter-by-quarter in 2024, the market has largely slumped due to various factors, some still rooted in the COVID-19 outbreak, according to Lillis. There was a brief moment where people were trying to capture anything that moved in the market, but in 2024 things have settled back down and stabilized.

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Hospice News

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

Hospice operators in 2024 are navigating a rapidly transforming environment. A potential M&A rebound After a 2023 slump, the hospice space may be ripe for a 2024 rebound. Our outlook for 2024 health services deals is cautiously optimistic. There are lots of reasons to be optimistic about 2024.

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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. This includes the revamping of the hospice survey process and the establishment of a Special Focus Program slated to begin in 2024, to name a few. Elected to the U.S.

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Hospice News

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

VITAS adjusted EBITDA, excluding Medicare capitation rates, reached $93.2 The companys $85 million acquisition of Covenant Health and Community Services in October 2024 has helped to fuel the companys growth. million during the fourth quarter, seeing a 11.8% year-over-year increase.

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Hospice News

FEBRUARY 14, 2025

A 2024 study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management found that palliative care is associated with improved patient outcomes from palliative care enrollment until death, including fewer hospitalizations, 5.4 Partnering with palliative care providers can help ACOs significantly reduce those costs. According to the U.S.

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Hospice News

JANUARY 10, 2025

Cheryl Hamilton Fried, CEO, Kirva Hospice Demand grows despite blustery staffing headwinds We will begin to see a more significant increase in utilization in 2025 (vs 2024) as education regarding the benefit, increased [long term care] occupancy versus the pandemic era, and a growing senior demographic all converge on the sector.

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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. The proposed FY 2024 rates for hospices that do not submit the required quality data would be updated by the proposed FY 2024 hospice payment update percentage of 2.8% The post CMS Proposes 2.8%

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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

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Hospice utilization among Medicare decedents 52.23% in Texas in 2022, reported the National Alliance for Care at Home. The company in December 2024 secured a $125 million senior credit facility with First Citizens Bank. Similar to national demographic trends, a growing aging population is driving demand for hospice in Texas.

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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

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

JANUARY 11, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires hospices to offer bereavement care for a minimum of 13 months following a patient’s death. The post Grief Care’s 2024 Outlook in Hospice appeared first on Hospice News. Grief’s care largest staffing gaps The U.S.

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 2, 2023

The ability to monitor and educate staff on their roles and responsibilities in compliance will be a key for hospice sustainability and quality heading into 2024, Piland said at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) Annual Leadership Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas. On Wednesday, the U.S.

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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. How have things been progressing since then?

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Hospice News

JANUARY 29, 2024

Rising demand In 2024, demand will continue to rise, driven by a number of factors. Fee-for-service Medicare, for example, only covers physician and licensed independent practitioner services and does not cover the full range of interdisciplinary palliative care. But they do represent a glimmer of hope.

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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. The following are some potential buyers to watch in 2024. But the company is almost certainly not done in the acquisition game, and further activity is likely in 2024.

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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. Part of the problem is that the [Medicare] Hospice Benefit is 40 plus years old.

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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

DECEMBER 13, 2024

Fraud and program integrity concerns dominated the news in 2024, along with large acquisitions, payment rules and regulatory changes. There were just some of the themes percolating among the most-read Hospice News coverage of 2024. The following are the most-read Hospice News articles of 2024. #1:

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 21, 2023

Recently, many of those efforts have included advocacy around program integrity within the Medicare Hospice Benefit. Today, they proposed a transitional board who will consider ratifying the organizations’ combination plan in early 2024. The post NAHC, NHPCO Name Transition Board to Guide 2024 Merger appeared first on Hospice News.

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 10, 2024

The home health and hospice provider is in part leveraging technology to fuel its plans, Jacobsmeyer said during the Bank of Americas Securities 2024 Home Care Conference. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Enhabits growth plans include a focus on de novo development. Nine other de novos are also on the horizon.

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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. Among them is an evolving conversation around potential changes to the Medicare Hospice Benefit, an increasing focus on equitable access and service diversification to engage patients further upstream.

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Hospice News

OCTOBER 3, 2023

Hospice News sat down with Marcantonio at NHPCO’s Annual Leadership Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, to discuss the hospice industry’s priorities for the remainder of 2023 and into 2024. What else is top of mind for you as you’re looking ahead to 2024? But of course other priorities exist.

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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. Three principles are guiding the U.S.

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Hospice News

JUNE 27, 2024

Recent evidence indicates that more of these providers are being enrolled in Medicare despite the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) efforts to date on curbing fraud and abuse. The post Hospices’ 2024 Public Policy Priorities appeared first on Hospice News. The program began implementation on Jan.

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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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