Hospice News

MARCH 21, 2025

Levy recently sat down with Hospice News to discuss the array of regulatory and legislative evolutions on the horizon in hospice care delivery. How will your past experiences help inform your future policy and advocacy efforts in the home-based landscape? Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)] and Congress.

Hospice 283

Hospice 2015 Information Care at home 283

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 13, 2023

But providers can also benefit from considering data that comes from outside their organizations to identify prevailing trends, inform their marketing efforts and guide their decision making. 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

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. Racial and socioeconomic disparities also exist when it comes to hospice referrals and quality of care. million, Grant told Hospice News.

Medicare 299

Medicare Social worker Hospice End-of-life care 299

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 Medicare Definition 316

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 Hospice 2026 Palliate 317

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

MARCH 15, 2024

“It’s challenging when a patient is in a facility-based setting, because they keep their own medical records and sometimes the medication changes don’t transfer to the hospice side. Another really important intervention is making sure patients, families and informal caregivers have sufficient understanding of the medications.

Events 299

Events Hospice care Hospice Palliative care 299

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

APRIL 18, 2025

The barometer is falling in hospice care delivery. Adaptability is a providers hallmark in todays current hospice landscape, according to Greg Wood, executive director at Hospice of the Ozarks. Theres some anxiety with the HOPE tool about submitting the information correctly, Wood said.

Hospice 179

Hospice Social worker Bereavement 2025 179

Hospice News

JUNE 11, 2024

NPHI is a membership organization comprising more than 100 nonprofit, community-integrated hospice and palliative care providers from 38 states and the District of Columbia. The organization recently submitted comments in response to a Request for Information from the U.S. compared to 6% for nonprofits, according to NPHI.

Hospice 306

Hospice Medicare 2025 2022 306

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

Seasons Hospice

APRIL 22, 2025

Two terms that often arise in these conversations are palliative care and hospice care. In this months blog post, well break down the key differences between palliative care and hospice care, explore how they are delivered, who can benefit from them, and when each type of care is appropriate.

Palliative care 52

Palliative care Hospice care Palliate Life-prolonging treatment 52

Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

These regions have seen a swarm of new hospices emerging and receiving federal funding. In some cases, dozens of new operators were billing Medicare from the same location without a corresponding increase in eligible patient populations. Multiple reports of unethical or illegal practices have surfaced, particularly among new companies.

Hospice 275

Hospice Medicare End-of-life care Palliative care 275

Hospice News

JULY 30, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has unveiled its final 2025 hospice rule, which includes a 2.9% The increase represents an estimated $790 million rise in total hospice payments compared to Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. The agency set a 5% cap on any year-over-year wage index decrease that hospices experience.

2025 306

2025 Hospice 2024 Medicare 306

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

JULY 11, 2024

Efforts to establish potential payment mechanisms for high-acuity palliative services within the Medicare Hospice Benefit will require greater clarity from regulators, according to the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC). The use of the term ‘palliative’ for treatments in this RFI was problematic.”

Definition 243

Definition 2025 Palliate Hospice 243

Hospice News

AUGUST 2, 2024

Both organizations bring a rich history and awareness of the challenges and opportunities in home health and hospice care delivery, said Bill Dombi, interim Co-CEO of the NAHC-NHPCO Alliance. It will serve as a hub to connect providers with a wide spectrum of important information. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon).

2025 306

2025 Medicare Hospice In-home health 306

Hospice News

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

clinical power means mastering timely initiation of care. 30% of home health patients dont get initiated into care for seven days as an industry, we have to look at those numbers and decide, as leaders, its unacceptable, Compassus CEO Mike Asselta said last month during a panel discussion at the Home Care 100 conference.

2025 130

2025 Grief Palliative care Information 130

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. Clarification from CMS in these areas will be helpful to hospices, physicians and those reviewing hospice records for compliance.”

2025 279

2025 Medical director Hospice Document 279

Hospice News

OCTOBER 16, 2024

“For hospice services specifically, an aging population, along with better informed family members about the positive aspects of hospice care, along with an increased dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, are all drivers of these crucial services,” he said. This exceeds the national average that year at 49.1%.

Hospice 279

Hospice 2022 Medicare Care at home 279

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. Many established services for the purpose of selling the license at a profit or defrauding Medicare.

2023 317

2023 Hospice 2024 Medicare 317

Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

The data come at a time when regulators are mulling over the future outlook of high-acuity services in end-of-life care. Legislators have also increasingly recognized a need to open up reimbursement pathways for high-acuity palliative care services as demand and costs swell.

Palliate 262

Palliate 2015 End-of-life care 2025 262

Hospice News

OCTOBER 10, 2022

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is mulling over the creation of a National Directory of Healthcare Providers and Services (NDH). . We look forward to hearing from our stakeholders on the need for a single source for this information for the entire health sector.”.

2018 264

2018 Care coordination Care coordinator Medicare 264

Hospice News

JULY 17, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is conducting a small pilot program for post-payment reviews of hospice stays that exceed 90 days. CMS internal data has identified a potential area of vulnerability beginning with the second benefit period, or 91st day in hospice,” Noridian indicated in an announcement.

Document 246

Document Hospice Medicare 2021 246

Hospice News

APRIL 18, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is insufficient to support hospice patients’ care needs, a major industry group said. CMS earlier this month released its 2024 hospice proposed rule , which included the 2.8% After a moratorium during the pandemic, full Medicare sequestration resumed on July 1, 2022.

Hospice 264

Hospice 2024 Medicare Palliative care 264

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 will replace the Hospice Item Set (HIS) quality reporting system.

2025 298

2025 Social worker Chaplain Palliative care 298

Hospice News

OCTOBER 5, 2023

While most agencies will never encounter a Targeted Probe and Educate (TPE) audit under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), prudent hospice care providers will understand the purpose and process of the TPE program in order to best prepare should they encounter an audit in the near or long term.

Document 263

Document Medicare Article Information 263

Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Over time, Medicare Advantage plans will likely have a greater presence as hospice payers, and now is the time for providers to build relationships those organizations. Originally slated to end in 2024, CMS recently extended the hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID) to 2023. SCAN is a $4.3

2026 278

2026 Hospice Demo Long-term hospice 278

Hospice News

APRIL 7, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking answers from the hospice community — including some around utilization patterns and non-hospice spending. The recently proposed 2024 hospice payment rule contained a 2.8% This includes items and services covered under Medicare Parts A, B, and D.

Hospice 264

Hospice 2019 2022 Medicare 264

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% of hospice care days during 2022, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).

Home care 264

Home care 2013 Document Medicare 264

Hospice News

AUGUST 8, 2023

Hospices seeking to gauge the potential impact of new regulatory actions in the space can look to their counterparts in the home health field. CMS is no doubt hoping for similar results for the Medicare Hospice Benefit. In that time frame, Nevada saw 56 newly certified hospices, and 369 emerged in Texas.

Hospice 246

Hospice Medicare 2022 2018 246

Hospice News

JUNE 14, 2024

Fraudsters have bilked Medicare for millions, with some cases resulting in criminal charges and even imprisonment. Navigating compliance Calls are growing louder for increased hospice program integrity oversight. The Maryland-based nonprofit provides hospice and supportive care services across four counties in the state.

Hospice 288

Hospice Document Palliative care Medicare 288

Hospice News

JULY 8, 2022

“When the [hopital] patient is discharged, thosewho have instructions to seek hospice are making up a greater percentage of that pool,” Bakkun told Hospice News. And that means that the the knowledge and awareness of hospice care is growing.”. This perspective is backed by other research. Case in point, the U.S.

Hospice 246

Hospice 2020 2021 Medicare 246

Hospice News

NOVEMBER 2, 2023

Caris Healthcare provides adult and pediatric hospice care to more than 40,000 patients and families across 28 locations in Georgia, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Additional services include palliative care, a veterans program and care coordination. On Wednesday, the U.S.

2024 263

2024 Hospice Medicare Document 263

Hospice News

APRIL 19, 2024

A bill introduced in February proposes to expand limitations within the Freedom of Information Act that prohibit the disclosure of certain personal and background information of state and public agency employees, including health workers.

Hospice 276

Hospice Assisted living Medicare End-of-life care 276

Hospice News

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

Though hospices operate within the dedicated Medicare benefit, market forces in the system at large wield considerable influence on how they operate — including the meteoric rise of managed care. The first, published last week, addressed the intersection of hospice care, behavioral health and chronic disease management.

Hospice 246

Hospice Demo Medicare Article 246