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Hospice CARE Act Would Create Reimbursement for High-Acuity Hospice Services

Hospice News

If enacted, the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act could open up reimbursement pathways for high-acuity palliative services during a time when demand and costs are rising. But things that we didn’t understand were palliative actually are services many hospices are providing to communities.

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Coalition ‘Strongly Urges’ Congress to Immortalize Hospice Telehealth Flexibilities

Hospice News

A coalition of hospice, home health and palliative care organizations has called on Congress to extend temporary telehealth flexibilities implemented during the pandemic. 31, these flexibilities allowed hospices to perform routine home care visits virtually and conduct face-to-face recertification visits. Currently set to expire Dec.

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CMS to Allow Concurrent Hospice Care During VBID Extension

Hospice News

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. But today’s update from CMS contained another critical change from prior years.

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Hospice Groups to CMS: Don’t Rush CAHPS Changes

Hospice News

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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2025 Could See Uptick in Hospice M&A, Less ‘Deal Fatigue’

Hospice News

Hospice transactions are facing a new world of challenges during a time when M&A activity is projected to ramp up after recent lulls. More founders who began their organizations when the Medicare Hospice Benefit was established in the 1980s are reaching retirement. Who’s going to receive the proceeds?

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How the Hospice CARE Act Could Change Respite Services

Hospice News

The Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act, if enacted, would make changes to the ways hospices provide respite care. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) is in the process of drafting the bill that would represent the most significant reforms to date for hospice payment and oversight.

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With Telehealth’s Uncertain Future, Hospices Must Be ‘Flexible’

Hospice News

These efforts come at a time when telehealth utilization is making waves in hospice staff and patient engagement, as well as operational efficiency and care coordination. Hospices will need to be nimble as the future of telehealth unfolds in health care, he said. But if telehealth was suddenly ‘shut off,’ that would be detrimental.

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