Hospice News

DECEMBER 4, 2024

Regulators recently extended certain temporary telemedicine waivers granted during the pandemic, with some flexibilities now sunsetting in 2025 rather than the end of this year. With the end of 2024 quickly approaching, DEA, jointly with HHS, has extended current telemedicine flexibilities through December 31, 2025.”

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Hospice News

AUGUST 2, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a new avenue of funding for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) with implications for palliative care providers. Meanwhile, the model’s monthly capitated payments support ongoing operations with a steady income stream,” Basevich told Palliative Care News in an email. “In

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Hospice News

JANUARY 3, 2024

Lawmakers recently introduced the Value in Health Care Act, which, if enacted, could create inroads toward improved palliative care reimbursement. These changes are designed to increase participation in value-based payment programs designed to improve quality outcomes and lower costs of care.

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Hospice News

JUNE 24, 2024

1, 2025, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center will begin implementing a payment model for primary care known as the Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) Primary Care Flex Model under the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). This fits nicely into palliative care.

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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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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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Hospice News

MARCH 19, 2024

Connecticut legislators recently introduced a bill that aims to create a statewide pediatric hospice and palliative program. The legislation comes at a time of critical need for supportive services, according to Kerry Moss, palliative care division head at Connecticut Children’s. The plan would have to be completed by Jan.

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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. This recommendation is offered at a time when hospice care costs have risen faster than any inflation update provided by CMS,” Dombi told Hospice News in an email. “A

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Hospice News

MAY 29, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) may not have accounted for the financial and administrative burdens associated with its implementation of the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) Tool. The tool is slated for an October 2025 implementation, according to the proposed rule.

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Hospice News

JULY 23, 2024

More than half (52.9%) of hospice providers reported undergoing more than one audit simultaneously within a six month period in a survey from LeadingAge, the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), NAHC and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).

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Hospice News

AUGUST 2, 2024

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) are moving forward on the integration of their combined new organization. The alliance is anticipated to take shape under a new name by January 2025, he indicated.

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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

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Some individuals also hold management positions at several of these hospices simultaneously. The Hospice Special Focus Program Finalized in the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2024 home health rule, the SFP is set for 2025 implementation. The program, set to begin Jan.

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Hospice News

JUNE 3, 2024

Hospice industry organizations have voiced support for proposed updates to the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) surveys, but raised questions on the implementation timeline. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) included the updates in its proposed hospice payment rule for 2025.

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

1, 2025, could potentially lead patients away from quality providers and into the arms of bad actors in the space, according to Dr. Steven Landers, newly appointed CEO of the National Alliance for Care at Home. It might make them even fearful about hospice care, which is the last thing we want to see happen.

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Hospice News

JUNE 11, 2024

Federal regulators should increase scrutiny of private equity activity in the hospice space, according to the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI). We wish to emphasize that it is not NPHI’s position to oppose all PE associated activity in the hospice market,” the organization indicated in its comments.

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Hospice News

AUGUST 23, 2024

Julia Hospice & Palliative Refuels De Novo Plans Pennsylvania-based Julia Hospice & Palliative (JHPC) has reignited plans to launch a de novo after experiencing pandemic-related setbacks. Dubbed Julia House, the facility will provide inpatient hospice and serve as an outpatient palliative care clinic.

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Hospice News

MAY 8, 2024

A bill currently before Congress would extend through 2026 regulatory flexibilities related to telehealth, including the ability to recertify patients for hospice care. If enacted, the Preserving Telehealth, Hospital, and Ambulance Access Act, would as of 2025 extend the flexibilities by two years.

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Hospice News

MAY 16, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is currently developing quality measures that will be included in the HOPE tool, which will replace the current Hospice Item Set (HIS). After years of development, the agency in its recent hospice proposed rule indicated that the HOPE tool’s implementation would begin in 2025.

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Hospice News

AUGUST 15, 2024

The forthcoming end of the hospice component of the value-based insurance design (VBID) demonstrative takes effect Dec. Launched in 2021, the carve-in was designed to test coverage of hospice care through Medicare Advantage, as well as coverage of palliative and transitional care.

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Hospice News

OCTOBER 15, 2024

The cap is designed to prevent overuse of hospice, put controls on Medicare spending and foster greater access to care among patients. In 2025, this will rise to $34,465. This allows for greater flexibility in providing care to those in need.” This corresponds with quality of care considerations.

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Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

The program is designed to recognize up-and-coming industry members who are shaping the next decade of home health, hospice care, senior housing, skilled nursing, and behavioral health. He had a very personal connection to hospice. Since you started working in hospice, what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned?

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 20, 2022

Clinicians have also used virtual visits to assess medication or care plans in real time. Rapid deployment of telemedicine during the PHE also has created “a new pathway” for bringing palliative and hospice care specialists to rural areas, according to authors of a recent report published in the JAMA Health Forum.

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Hospice News

MARCH 20, 2024

Though the model is focused on primary care, it could help more patients receive hospice and palliative care when appropriate, according to CMS. ACOs will then distribute payment to the participating primary care providers in their networks. 1, 2025, with the application period starting May 20 and ending June 17.

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Hospice News

AUGUST 31, 2022

Building career paths for hospice clinicians. Clinical workforce shortages in hospice and palliative care are among the biggest threats to patient access, say some providers. Samaritan in 2013 launched its first hospice and palliative care fellowship program in concert with the Rowan University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine.

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Hospice News

AUGUST 30, 2022

. “With the addition of Comfort Hospice of St. Louis Missouri and Grace Hospice of Maumee Ohio, we are poised for expansion throughout the Midwest as we continue our mission of making hospice care more accessible to our communities,” Justin DeWitte, CEO of Residential Hospice, said in a statement.

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Hospice News

MARCH 22, 2024

Hospice providers need to evolve with their changing patient populations and the larger health care system, according to Greg Hagfors, CEO of Partners In Care. A group of volunteers had brought the hospice concept from the United Kingdom to Oregon, according to Hagfors. W hat’s next for your palliative care program?

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 12, 2023

Hospice News sat down with providers, advocacy groups, legal experts and other stakeholders to uncover the most significant hospice regulatory trends from this year and their anticipated impacts heading into 2024 and beyond. OIG anticipates the audit’s results to roll out in the fiscal year 2025.

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Hospice News

JULY 1, 2024

Hospices can expect a continued diverse mix of investor interest in coming years, according to David DeGumbia, senior vice president and chief development officer at Compassus. Two driving forces in both the for-profit and nonprofit spheres are hospices’ cost-savings potential and decades of evidence-based quality metrics, DeGumbia said.

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NHPCO

MARCH 28, 2024

proposed rate increase for hospices is not enough to support the continued delivery of hospice care amidst rising cost pressures and ongoing workforce constraints affecting hospices nationwide,” said NHPCO COO and Interim CEO, Ben Marcantonio. “The We know that hospice care has demonstrated $3.5

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 13, 2024

Meanwhile, lawmakers unveiled a bill with some of the most significant reforms proposed to date for hospice payment and oversight. Dubbed as the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act, the bill has ignited conversations across the industry about future sustainability, growth and program integrity.

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Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 11, 2024

In this Voices interview, Hospice News sits down with Ryan Krout, PharmD, VP, Clinical Management, Enclara Pharmacia, to talk about the future of predictive analytics in hospice care, and the steps providers can take to get the most out of this evolving technology. The human element is fundamental to the success of these tools.

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 5, 2024

The comfort care home that were going to bring to Oswego County is critically important because we dont have a facility where people nearing the end of life can stay and have 24-hour care provided for them, Spinella told local news. In addition to hospice, the organization also offers palliative care and pediatric services.

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Hospice News

JULY 7, 2022

Croix Hospice is answering the growing hospice care needs of central Missouri by locating additional staff to serve communities from our new Jefferson City location,” said CEO Heath Bartness in a press release. based Lexington Hospice Care. by 2025, up from 13.5% . “St. in 2000 and 13.6%

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Hospice News

AUGUST 27, 2024

The program is designed to recognize up-and-coming industry members who are shaping the next decade of home health, hospice care, senior housing, skilled nursing, and behavioral health. James Dismond, CEO of Hospice of the Lowcountry, has been named a 2024 Future Leader by Hospice News.

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Hospice News

APRIL 4, 2024

Collaborations with participants in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation’s (CMMI) Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Primary Care Flex demo could allow hospices to leverage their skill sets to access more patients. Hospices and palliative care providers can come to ACOs by two main avenues.

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Hospice News

OCTOBER 4, 2024

The program is designed to recognize up-and-coming industry members who are shaping the next decade of home health, hospice care, senior housing, skilled nursing, and behavioral health. Tej Dhillon, founder and CEO of Seva Hospice, has been named a 2024 Future Leader by Hospice News. I knew of the benefit.

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