Hospice News

DECEMBER 9, 2024

Hospice News explores the issues garnering growing attention in end-of-life care 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

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Hospice News

JULY 22, 2024

Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries are less likely to receive intensive treatments or burdensome transfers during the last six months of life compared to those in traditional Medicare, a new study has found. However, they identified gaps in which patients don’t always receive sufficient post-acute care. “We

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Hospices’ public outreach efforts have evolved in recent years, with providers finding new strategies to dispel myths that have long impeded access to care. Nearly half, or 49.1%, of all Medicare decedents utilized hospice services in 2022, reported the National Alliance for Care at Home.

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Hospice News

JANUARY 17, 2025

Some hospices have delved deeper into service diversification to improve timely access and expand their patient reach, while others remain focused on end-of-life care delivery. The San Antonio, Texas-headquartered company provides hospice, home health, veterans services, assisted living and skilled nursing services.

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

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.

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 3, 2024

NuHealth is partnering with Hospice of New York to offer inpatient end-of-life care to its patients. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility. NuHealth was formally known as Nassau Health Care Corp. “By Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

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.

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Hospice News

JUNE 26, 2024

Development of the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act has signaled that a wave of change may be on the horizon in end-of-life care delivery – including how patients are certified to receive these services. The area of end-of-life care was ripe for a pilot project.

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Hospice News

JUNE 6, 2023

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.

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 17, 2024

These evolving regulations have hospices concerned that a lack of virtual access to their services could have significant impacts on quality and health disparities. Weve inherited a kind of accelerated movement toward a new normal during the pandemic, Fratkin told Hospice News.

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Hospice News

MARCH 22, 2023

Despite years of scrutiny over the duration of hospice care, new data show that longer stays reduce health care costs in the last year of life by as much as 11%. All told, hospice care — regardless of length of stay — saves Medicare approximately $3.5 That’s now supported in a very clear way.

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Hospice News

JANUARY 23, 2025

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?

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Hospice News

OCTOBER 15, 2024

Hospice providers and stakeholders are carefully examining the proposed changes included in the recently introduced Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act as the bill begins its journey through the legislative process. this summer. “It

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

Prolific health disparities have driven hospices to implement various strategies to improve diversity, equity and inclusion among underserved patient populations. Garrett is also executive director of the Virginia-based hospice’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee. Hospice utilization rates rose by 4.1%

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Hospice News

MARCH 10, 2025

Calvary Hospitals newly appointed president Michael Fosina is embarking on a deeper journey to improve quality and access to hospice care amid rising demand. Research and workforce growth will play large roles in the future of palliative and end-of-life care delivery, according to Fosina.

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Hospice News

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

Hospices have opened doors to some of the most innovative opportunities around community and public education to help dispel barriers to greater awareness of their services. This challenge superseded consolidation trends in the hospice market and changing payment dynamics. James Earl Carter Jr. His administration launched the U.S.

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Hospice News

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Individuals with Alzheimers and dementia-related conditions could benefit from stronger caregiver programs upstream of end-of-life care. This is according to recent research findings, which could help inform approaches to care under the new Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) payment model. Fueled by a $2.3

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Hospice News

MARCH 14, 2025

Rising demand for end-of-life care 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.

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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

SEPTEMBER 20, 2022

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.)

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Hospice News

JULY 13, 2023

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

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Hospice News

AUGUST 17, 2022

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.

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Hospice News

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

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.

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Hospice News

JUNE 14, 2023

A growing number of patients with various dementia-related conditions will need end-of-life care in coming years. Hospices preparing for rising demand are facing compliance challenges, as these patients often require longer hospice stays.

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Hospice News

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

The hospice was accused of knowingly submitting Medicare claims for patients who were not terminally ill. Respectful and appropriate end-of-life care is the crux of the hospice benefit under Medicare, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Justice Department. Attorney Keith A.

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Hospice News

JUNE 29, 2022

Congressional legislators are casting doubts on regulatory oversight of Medicare Advantage plans over concerns about spending, claims denials, and end-of-life care. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) or any Medicare Advantage plans spoke at this hearing. No representatives from the U.S.

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Hospice News

JULY 31, 2023

Rising regulatory scrutiny around length of stay may be having adverse impacts on health care costs and quality, hospice leaders said in a recent Congressional briefing. Longer stays yield greater savings Regulators have fixed their gaze on longer hospice stays as signals of potential fraud, waste and abuse.

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Hospice News

JULY 3, 2023

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.)

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Hospice News

JANUARY 23, 2024

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.”

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Hospice News

APRIL 29, 2022

The Medicare Advantage hospice carve-in has been the focus of much attention among providers, and many are watching closely for the demonstration’s outcomes. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the MCCM in 2016 to explore the idea of allowing hospice patients to receive concurrent curative care.

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Hospice News

OCTOBER 24, 2024

Today’s hospice executives are entering the field with change in mind for improved quality. But concerns have mounted around sustainable growth strategies that will keep pace with rising demand amid myriad challenges in end-of-life care delivery. Regulatory challenges are among hospice leaders’ most significant concerns.

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Hospice News

JUNE 13, 2024

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 Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act, on Thursday at the Hospice News Elevate conference in Washington D.C.

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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

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

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-life care option.

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Hospice News

MAY 9, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on continuing evidence of hospice fraud and quality issues. We must urgently address the bad actors who are abusing the hospice benefit and harming patients and families,” the legislators wrote in the letter. Members of Congress are demanding answers from the U.S.

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Hospice News

JULY 23, 2024

The Medicare Hospice 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.

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Hospice News

APRIL 17, 2024

Legacy Hospice has acquired Mississippi-based HomeCare Hospice for an undisclosed sum. HomeCare Hospice operates four locations that cover most of its home state. About 19,000 Medicare beneficiaries elected hospice in the state last year, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

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