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Rising competition in the hospice space has fueled pivotal changes in end-of-lifecare delivery both for better and for worse, according to Arizona-based Hospice of the Valley Executive Director Debbie Shumway. We began in 1977 as a nonprofit hospice, and we are still a nonprofit today.
has voiced his support for end-of-lifecare. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Kennedys priorities include addressing challenges related to chronic disease and serious illness, as well as rising health care costs, according to a recent HHS statement.
Hospices nationwide have been diversifying their services to include palliative care, PACE, home-based primary care and a host of other business lines. However, some organizations have found success with disease-specific programs reimbursed through the MedicareHospice Benefit.
Six nonprofit hospice providers recently joined forces to form the Hawaii Palliative and HospiceCare Collaborative. The initiative is an effort to ensure sustainable access amid rising demand for end-of-life and serious illness care. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaiis hospice program.
Underserved patient populations are facing a growing deficit when it comes to accessing quality, inclusive hospicecare at the end of life. One is [that] general access and utilization of hospice varies widely by racial groups and by geography. Health equity gaps have swelled in hospicecare in recent years.
Hospice News explores the issues garnering growing attention in end-of-lifecare 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
Hospices coast-to-coast have undergone leadership transitions, including changes in legal executives and a slew of newly appointed CEOs, among other roles in the industry. Texas-based New Day provides home health, hospice, palliative and personal care services across 31 locations in Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and in its home state.
Some hospices have delved deeper into service diversification to improve timely access and expand their patient reach, while others remain focused on end-of-lifecare delivery. The San Antonio, Texas-headquartered company provides hospice, home health, veterans services, assisted living and skilled nursing services.
Among the numerous tactics that unscrupulous hospices use to commit fraud, three are rising to the forefront. These regions have seen swarms of new hospices emerging and receiving Medicare dollars. Flying low is probably one of the most important pieces of this, Lund Person told Hospice News at the conference.
NuHealth is partnering with Hospice of New York to offer inpatient end-of-lifecare to its patients. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility. NuHealth was formally known as Nassau Health Care Corp. “By Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) and Jimmy Panetta (D-California) have introduced a bill that would reform aspects of the hospice Special Focus Program (SFP). If enacted, the Enhancing Hospice Oversight and Transparency Act also would increase the penalty for hospices that do not report quality measure data to 10% by 2027, up from 4% currently.
Today’s hospice leaders need to take a wide view into the range of challenges facing their interdisciplinary care teams, according to Dr. Andrew Mayo, chief medical officer at St. Croix Hospice. Croix Hospice in 2014 as an associate medical director. Mayo joined St. Paul, Minnesota and going on to practice in St.
Nevada lawmakers have introduced a bill to curb hospice fraud in that state. Among the significant changes that the legislation proposed was having newly licensed hospice programs in Nevada undergo enhanced regulatory oversight for the first two years of operations.
Development of the HospiceCare Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (HospiceCARE) Act has signaled that a wave of change may be on the horizon in end-of-lifecare delivery – including how patients are certified to receive these services. The area of end-of-lifecare was ripe for a pilot project.
Mahogany Home Health and Hospice recently launched services in southwestern Ohio. The new hospice startup is the first Black-owned hospice and home health organization statewide with a drive to improve utilization among underserved populations. Couzens has also held hospice chaplain roles at St.
Compassus and VNS Health have formed a value-based collaboration aimed at improving access, awareness and quality of hospice and palliative care services. The two home-based care organizations are joining forces in a Medicare Advantage (MA) Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) model partnership.
Despite years of scrutiny over the duration of hospicecare, new data show that longer stays reduce health care costs in the last year of life by as much as 11%. All told, hospicecare — regardless of length of stay — saves Medicare approximately $3.5 That’s now supported in a very clear way.
Montana-headquartered Stillwater Hospice has found a successful rhythm to strategic rural-based growth and sustainability. Launched in 2017, the hospice company serves predominantly rural-based populations in Montana, northern Wyoming and South Dakota. How have the challenges of rural care delivery evolved in recent years?
Hospice providers and stakeholders are carefully examining the proposed changes included in the recently introduced HospiceCare Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (HospiceCARE) Act as the bill begins its journey through the legislative process. this summer. “It
Hospice leaders may have a narrow view around the hidden daily challenges experienced by nurses both at the bedside and operationally. Rising demand and widespread staffing shortages have given way to a difficult state of the hospice nursing workforce. You can always go somewhere else and make more money. An estimated 82.13
Rising demand for end-of-lifecare is pushing hospice growth opportunities to the forefront in value-based reimbursement. More payers in this arena are increasingly recognizing the depth of potential beneficial outcomes when it comes to collaborative hospice partnerships. Details in the data trends The U.S.
Calls have grown louder for an overhauled design of the MedicareHospice 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.
and Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced the Improving Access to Advance Care Planning Act to the Senate designed to promote greater access to those services among Medicare beneficiaries. Yet, societal factors and poor coordination among health care providers can limit its effectiveness and utilization. “The Warner (D-Va.)
The health care space — including hospice — is increasingly shaped by numbers. During the past several years hospice providers have had to become experts in data management in order to remain competitive. Hospices’ cost-savings potential A study published in March revealed that hospice saved Medicare roughly $3.5
Medicare claims for unrelated services creates serious financial and legal risks for hospice providers — even if they are not the ones who sent the bill. During recent years, payouts for non-hospice services provided to Medicare beneficiaries have tipped into the billions.
Family Hospice is partnering with the Georgia chapter of the Alzheimers Association to enhance dementia care and patient and family education. We want families to feel empowered, informed and supported, especially when facing difficult decisions about end-of-lifecare. That makes this partnership so very important.
A growing number of patients with various dementia-related conditions will need end-of-lifecare in coming years. Hospices preparing for rising demand are facing compliance challenges, as these patients often require longer hospice stays.
Congressional legislators are casting doubts on regulatory oversight of Medicare Advantage plans over concerns about spending, claims denials, and end-of-lifecare. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) or any Medicare Advantage plans spoke at this hearing. No representatives from the U.S.
and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) recently re-introduced legislation designed to expand the palliative care workforce. The two lawmakers, along with others, also brought forth a second bill designed to ensure that hospice patients who need blood transfusions can receive them. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.)
They want concierge care, and thats exactly what were providinga high level of personalized, in-home support for those with chronic medical conditions. The program operates under WesleyLifes hospice umbrella, with a dedicated nurse practitioner and social worker leading patient care. The goal is to eliminate barriers to care.
The hospice was accused of knowingly submitting Medicare claims for patients who were not terminally ill. Respectful and appropriate end-of-lifecare is the crux of the hospice benefit under Medicare, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Justice Department. Attorney Keith A.
These patient populations had less hospice access and utilization of pain medications such as opioids when approaching the end of life, researchers found. Black or Latino patients in socially vulnerable areas were less likely to utilize hospice than white patients, and there’s a compounding effect on end-of-life pain management.”
Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) is drafting a landmark bill that, if enacted, would represent the most significant reforms to date for hospice payment and oversight. Blumenauer announced the bill, the HospiceCare Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (HospiceCARE) Act, on Thursday at the Hospice News Elevate conference in Washington D.C.
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.
Fraudulent operators’ marketing strategies are morphing the competitive landscape, making it difficult for legitimate hospice providers to maintain visibility among patients and families. This makes it difficult for referrals, patients and their families to discern the best end-of-lifecare option.
The MedicareHospice Benefit is ripe for change nearly four decades after its establishment, but moving the needle will include a heavy lift around evolving regulations. This is according to Bill Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC). But hospice has moved into a new era.
Rising demand and demographic tailwinds are propelling rapid growth in both the hospice and palliative care markets. These markets are growing partly because of demographic trends and partly because of increasing acceptance of both palliative and hospice,” Tanquilut told Hospice News. “As billion by 2030, a rise from $34.5
Hospice News today unveiled its Hospice Top 50 report. The report details the largest hospice chains in the United States by Medicare claims. One key takeaway: The 15 largest providers now account for nearly 33% of all Medicarehospice payments. Click here to download the report.
Hospice providers, industry groups and other stakeholders recently penned a letter urging Congress to improve payment infrastructures that would increase access to end-of-lifecare among rural populations. So, for access to rural care, we’re going to have to depend on smaller rural programs.
Medicare Advantage organization SCAN Group has invested an undisclosed dollar amount in tech-enabled hospice startup Guaranteed. SCAN Group, parent company of SCAN Health Plan, is the latest investor in the hospice company. SCAN Group, parent company of SCAN Health Plan, is the latest investor in the hospice company.
Hospice of the Western Reserve has completed its affiliation with Hospice of North Central Ohio (HNCO), expanding its geographic presence in the Buckeye state. The two hospice providers in February announced the affiliation after signing a letter of intent to enter a Management Services Agreement. Photo by Pixelate Photography.
Some federal legislators are working to address workforce issues in the hospice space, as well as bolstering support for family caregivers. In a fractious political environment, hospice and palliative care policy is one area in which members of both parties find common ground. Earl Blumenhauer (D-Ore.)
The Ohio-based health system Adena Health has unveiled a hospice and home health joint venture with Alternate Solutions Health Network (ASHN). The JV, branded as Adena Home Health and Hospice, will launch next month, providing care to seriously and terminally ill patients in south central and southern Ohio. Census Bureau.
The forthcoming HospiceCare Accountability, Reform and Enforcement (HospiceCARE) Act from U.S. Blumenauer announced the bill in June at the Hospice News Elevate conference in Washington D.C. Hospice News / Merz Photography Hospice News / Merz Photography Rep. Hospice News photo by Merz Photography.
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