Hospice News

AUGUST 19, 2024

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. The drafted Hospice CARE Act included potential avenues to improve payment for high-acuity palliative treatments.

Hospice care 317

Hospice care 2026 Hospice Palliate 317

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

End-of-life care 264

End-of-life care Medicare 2016 2018 264

Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) has introduced the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, which, if enacted, could revolutionize the Medicare Hospice Benefit. Hospice News photo by Merz Photography. The Alliance shares Rep.

Hospice care 312

Hospice care Hospice Medicare Care at home 312

Hospice News

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

The SFP has the authority to impose enforcement remedies against hospices with poor performance based on its algorithm. Hospices flagged by the SFP also will be surveyed every six months rather than the current three-year cycle and could face monetary penalties or expulsion from the Medicare program.

2027 290

2027 Hospice Care at home 2019 290

Hospice News

MARCH 12, 2025

John Patterson agreed to pay $486,626 to resolve allegations of kickback payments received from Nursemind Home Care. Patterson is accused of certifying patients for hospice care who did not have a terminal condition and were not eligible to receive these services. Assistant U.S.

Hospice 162

Hospice Medicare 2021 Hospice care 162

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.

Medicare 289

Medicare Hospice 2020 2019 289

Hospice News

JULY 16, 2024

The hospice community is contributing input to the development of the forthcoming Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. NPHI has consistently advocated for reform to the Medicare hospice benefit reimbursement methodology.

Hospice care 316

Hospice care Hospice Definition Medicare 316

Hospice News

AUGUST 26, 2022

Medicare reimbursement is the lifeblood of hospice providers, and a clear understanding of policies like budget neutrality can help elucidate the payment systems that keep their businesses running. The clearest example of how this works was the 2020 rebasing of payments for the four levels of hospice care.

Medicare 246

Medicare 2016 Hospice Social worker 246

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.

End-of-life care 278

End-of-life care Hospice care Hospice Medicare 278

Hospice News

JULY 13, 2023

This is the first of a two-part service that will detail key findings from recent research on hospice care, featuring numbers that could influence they ways hospices communicate and operate. Hospices’ cost-savings potential A study published in March revealed that hospice saved Medicare roughly $3.5

Medicare 246

Medicare Palliative care Palliate Hospice 246

Hospice News

JULY 26, 2024

The most recent iteration of Hospice Care Accountability, Reform and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act, currently in a discussion draft phase, could have some unintended consequences in the future of end-of-life care delivery. Developed by U.S. Blumenaur’s office and members of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Hospice care 290

Hospice care Hospice End-of-life care 2024 290

Hospice News

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

Utilization continuous home care has dropped precipitously during the past decade, with labor pressures, regulatory scrutiny and billing challenges as contributing factors. Continuous home care (CHC) represented 0.9% Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This is down from 1.8%

Home care 264

Home care 2013 Document Medicare 264

Hospice News

DECEMBER 10, 2024

Enhabit anticipates a nice bump in patient census across both its home health and hospice service lines in 2025, positioning the company for stronger growth than experienced in the last year, according to President and CEO Barb Jacobsmeyer. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

2025 278

2025 Hospice 2022 Medicare 278

Hospice News

JULY 31, 2023

Hospice care saves Medicare roughly $3.5 billion for patients in their last year of life, according to a joint report from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and NORC at the University of Chicago.

Medicare 246

Medicare Hospice Grief Healthcare 246

Hospice News

JULY 13, 2022

More than a dozen hospice advocacy groups have called on congressional leadership to intervene in a proposed 2.7% bump in Medicare payments, which they say is insufficient in light of COVID-19 and staffing headwinds. The organizations signed a letter to party leaders in both chambers of Congress. Congress should urge [the U.S.

Medicare 264

Medicare 2023 Hospice Palliative care 264

Hospice News

MAY 30, 2023

Los Angeles-based Hospice Home Care recently rolled out a scholarship program for hospice aides in a move towards building career pathways and improving retention. Los Angeles County needs to hear the voices of those who provide Los Angeles hospice care to the residents of this county as they near the end of life.”

Home care 246

Home care Hospice aide Hospice Social worker 246

Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) star ratings system for hospice quality may have unintended consequences for small providers. CMS began posting star ratings for hospices on its Care Compare website last month. About 28% percent of those beneficiaries were in hospice for seven days or less.

Medicare 246

Medicare Hospice 2018 Hospice care 246

Hospice News

DECEMBER 7, 2023

Strong performance on the Hospice Care Index is becoming increasingly essential to securing payer and referral contracts and will be a key consideration in the federal government’s forthcoming Special Focus Program (SFP). The Hospice Care Index can be a referral driver. And they are looking at that data,” Huff said.

Hospice care 278

Hospice care Hospice 2024 Medicare 278

Hospice News

AUGUST 1, 2024

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.

Hospice care 264

Hospice care 2027 Hospice 2026 264

Hospice News

AUGUST 17, 2023

As Jimmy Carter marks his sixth month in hospice care, the provider community is raising awareness by saluting the former president. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) convened a group of hospice leaders at Times Square in New York City to commemorate Carter’s hospice experience.

Hospice care 246

Hospice care Hospice Demo Medicare 246

Hospice News

JANUARY 17, 2025

A group of providers and state associations are plaintiffs in the suit, including Texas Association for Home Care & Hospice, Indiana Association for Home & Hospice Care, Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina, South Carolina Home Care & Hospice Association and Houston Hospice.

Hospice 130

Hospice Medicare Care at home Hospice care 130

Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022

Uintah Home Health and Hospice patients began receiving services under the Canyon umbrella earlier this month. The home health and hospice provider is part of the home care service line of Uintah Basin Healthcare. Utah holds the highest rate of hospice utilization among Medicare decedents nationwide.

Home care 242

Home care Hospice 2030 2012 242

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

End-of-life care 279

End-of-life care Hospice care Hospice 2029 279

Hospice News

JUNE 1, 2022

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) designed the Hospice Care Index (HCI) to paint a picture of care processes that occur between a patient’s admission and discharge, but as currently designed it may not be an effective measure of quality. appeared first on Hospice News.

Hospice care 264

Hospice care Hospice Medicare Definition 264

Hospice News

MARCH 1, 2023

Kosciusko Home Care & Hospice (KHCH) has merged with Stillwater Hospice amid mounting financial pressures. The two Indiana-based nonprofit hospices joined forces to ensure continued access to end-of-life care in the Kosciusko County area. This falls in line with national averages that hovered at 47.8%

Home care 245

Home care 2001 Hospice Palliative care 245

Hospice News

MAY 27, 2022

These include the audit system created by Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014, and the two-tiered reimbursement for routine home care that reduced payment amounts after 60 days. Due to rising utilization, Medicare hospice expenditures increase by about $1 billion annually.

Hospice 364

Hospice 2014 2019 2008 364

Hospice News

JANUARY 16, 2025

The plaintiffs include: Texas Association for Home Care & Hospice, Indiana Association for Home & Hospice Care, Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina, South Carolina Home Care & Hospice Association and Houston Hospice.

Hospice 147

Hospice Care at home Hospice care 2024 147

Hospice News

MARCH 29, 2024

The 2025 proposed hospice rule is raising some questions along with payment rates. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a 2.6% increase in hospice per diems for 2025. We know that hospice care has demonstrated $3.5 Hospice care saves Medicare roughly $3.5

2025 288

2025 Medicare Medical director Palliate 288

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.

Hospice 317

Hospice 2025 Medicare End-of-life care 317

Hospice News

MARCH 21, 2024

Members of Congress are raising questions about the continued Medicare certification for new hospices in areas rife with fraud. Some of these providers engaged in referral kickback schemes, enrolled patients who were not eligible for hospice and lied to them about being terminally ill. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.)

2010 264

2010 Hospice Medicare 2024 264

Hospice News

AUGUST 15, 2024

The post-Medicare Advantage hospice carve-in landscape could include wider value-based reimbursement avenues in the hospice space, leading providers to pivot into MA payer relationships. The forthcoming end of the hospice component of the value-based insurance design (VBID) demonstrative takes effect Dec.

Demo 278

Demo 2030 Medicare 2025 278

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.

2024 331

2024 Hospice Demo Medicare 331

Hospice News

APRIL 12, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed 2025 hospice rule contains clarifications on which physicians may certify patients for hospice enrollment. However, federal regulations are inconsistent as to which physicians can certify a patient as being terminally ill under Medicare.”

2025 279

2025 Medical director Hospice Document 279

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.

Hospice 306

Hospice End-of-life care Medicare Palliative care 306

Hospice News

NOVEMBER 1, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized its 2024 home health rule, including the implementation of a hospice Special Focus Program (SFP). The rule also finalizes the proposed “36-month”rule for hospice providers.

Hospice 312

Hospice Medicare 2024 2019 312

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. Announced in June at the Hospice News Elevate conference in Washington D.C. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon).

2025 306

2025 Medicare Hospice In-home health 306

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.

Hospice 288

Hospice 2025 Palliative care Medicare 288