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New trends in hospicecare delivery are pointing to a growing need for improved equitable access and diversified services that address a broader range of disease-specific patient needs. Hospice providers have been expanding the depth of their interdisciplinary disease-specific programs to meet that need, Ware said.
Rising competition in the hospice space has fueled pivotal changes in end-of-life care 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.
Underserved patient populations are facing a growing deficit when it comes to accessing quality, inclusive hospicecare at the end of life. When we look specifically at hospice, we still have a lot of gaps to close [and] we continue to see two significant disparities, Bloom said at the Hospice News ELEVATE conference in Florida.
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
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently elaborated on its plans to expand public education campaigns designed to help protect hospice beneficiaries from fraudulent actors in the space. Program integrity concerns have heated up in the hospice industry.
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.
The hospice industry is undergoing a transformative period of rising demand and regulatory changes. This is according to Scott Levy, chief government affairs officer at National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance). working hand-in-glove on policy issues with colleagues across the home health and hospice industries.
Improved patient and staff satisfaction are among the most significant returns on investment for hospices that are pouring greater resources into trauma-informed training. This is according to Amber Ash, pediatric hospice and palliative care social worker at Ohio-based Hospice of the Western Reserve.
Hospices see improved quality and operational efficiency as their biggest return on technology investments in three key areas. Keeping pace with the evolving technology landscape can be pivotal for hospices sustainability as rising demand pressurizes workforces, Pathek indicated. AccentCare, Agape Care Group and St.
The barometer is falling in hospicecare delivery. Adaptability is a providers hallmark in todays current hospice landscape, according to Greg Wood, executive director at Hospice of the Ozarks. Hospice of the Ozarks also has a veterans program and offers pet therapy services. DBA Hope HealthCare Services.
If enacted, the HospiceCare Accountability, Reform and Enforcement (HospiceCARE) Act could open up reimbursement pathways for high-acuity palliative services during a time when demand and costs are rising. The drafted HospiceCARE Act included potential avenues to improve payment for high-acuity palliative treatments.
Hospicecare is an option for someone who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of six months or less. Your family can arrange hospicecare at a hospital, inpatient hospice facility, long-term care facility, or home.
The hospice community is contributing input to the development of the forthcoming HospiceCare Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (HospiceCARE) Act. Blumenauer announced the bill at the Hospice News Elevate conference in Washington D.C. Hospice News photo by Merz Photography.
Hospices strategies to support family caregivers have room for improvement when it comes to addressing the broad range of these individuals unmet emotional and logistical needs. Family caregivers often navigate a complex health care system without sufficient support, according to Sonya Dolan, director of operations at Mettle Health.
The Colorado-based hospice provider collaborative Care Synergy has formed a joint venture with RCC Medical Equipment Co. This includes patients of Care Synergys affiliates. Care Synergy emerged in 2021 as a regional collaborative of hospice companies.
Documentation errors and a fragmented health system pose the greatest risks for adverse drug events among hospices. McPherson also serves on the board of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). They also need to know which side effects are more concerning and should prompt a call to the hospice.”
The Indiana-based palliative care provider Center for HospiceCare (CHC) is looking beyond its immediate community and has developed networks that impact palliative care on a global scale. The organization became an affiliate of the Indiana-based provider Center for HospiceCare in 2017.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has not responded to congressional concerns about the hospice Special Focus Program (SFP). Set for 2025 implementation, the SFP promises to identify hospices delivering poor quality care and target them for improvement remedies. Van Duyne told Hospice News in an email.
In today’s hospice environment, providers are continually asked to do more with less. The Impact of AI on Hospice Operations AI’s impact on hospicecare is accelerating, primarily due to its capacity to streamline processes and reduce the administrative workload for staff. Enter artificial intelligence (AI).
Federal regulators should increase scrutiny of private equity activity in the hospice space, according to the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI). The organization recently submitted comments in response to a Request for Information from the U.S. compared to 6% for nonprofits, according to NPHI.
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.
Increased technology utilization in end-of-life care has come with innovative care delivery opportunities alongside cybersecurity risks. Technology is gaining momentum in end-of-life care delivery, with hospices carefully navigating the opportunities and risks, according to Jody Rudman, partner at the law firm Husch Blackwell. “AI
Hospices combat both operational and financial challenges as they seek to grow and evolve their veteran programs around the diverse and complex needs of patients and their families. I think that’s a challenge that a lot of hospices run into.” Graveran is also a veteran.
Two terms that often arise in these conversations are palliative care and hospicecare. In this months blog post, well break down the key differences between palliative care and hospicecare, explore how they are delivered, who can benefit from them, and when each type of care is appropriate.
Fraudulent operators’ marketing strategies are morphing the competitive landscape, making it difficult for legitimate hospice providers to maintain visibility among patients and families. Good actors have more pressure applied to them, and they’re at risk for negative public appearances,” Chirico told Hospice News. “If
The Indiana Association for Home & HospiceCare (IAHHC) has unveiled a new employee support program designed to help with retention of much needed workforce resources in end-of-life care. Connect program was in part driven by increasing recognition of the perils of staff burnout and turnover in home health and hospice.
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 hospicecare through Medicare Advantage, in addition to some coverage of palliative care and transitional care.
Hospice providers are navigating a minefield in today’s regulatory environment to avoid getting caught up in the mix of fraudulent activity in the space. Fraud, waste and abuse exist in several different industries and health care is no exception. It’s a concern that continues to tarnish hospice.
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 finalized hospice cap amount for FY 2025 is $34,465.34, up from $33,494.01 this year. “The
Program integrity issues that have heated up in the hospice space during the past five years reached a boiling point in 2023. Hospice providers have seen an array of increased regulatory oversight in 2023. There is scrutiny on hospicecare [that’s] setting the stage for the next phase of what hospice oversight looks like.
Arizona-based MD Home Health has expanded its business lines to include in-clinic care, virtual care and a hospice program. MD Home Health bills its recent service diversification as an “omnichannel health care approach.” Tusa, CEO of MD Home Health, told Hospice News.
When hospice providers are being investigated not just by CMS but the FBI, the stakes for compliance are higher than ever. In May of 2024, the federal law enforcement agency placed its spotlight on the rising number of complaints about hospice fraud, in which hospices participate in signing up seniors for care without the seniors’ knowledge.
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.
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.”
The future of telehealth in hospicecare delivery is among the questions swirling around the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) on May 11. Though initially the telehealth waivers weren’t intended to be permanent, they will likely have long-term impacts in hospice.
Given the critical role of family caregivers in home-based care, hospices have a vested interest in expanding their access to support. Families caring for seriously ill loved ones face systemic barriers that could threaten patients’ ability to receive care at home, including at the end of life.
The program is designed to recognize up-and-coming industry members who are shaping the next decade of home health, hospicecare, senior housing, skilled nursing, and behavioral health. Lindsay Nixon, administrator at Arbor Hospice, has been named a 2024 Future Leader by Hospice News. Time to adjust the sails!
Buyers in a hot hospice M&A market are bringing compliance under a microscope as regulators keep a tight watch. All hospice transactions undergo some type of compliance review. But there’s nothing routine about these reviews in today’s current hospice regulatory environment. This includes the U.S.
Trust and collaborative communication are essential to hospice executive teams seeking to weather a changing health care system. The nonprofit health system provides home care, hospice, palliative and dementia care across Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. These daily check-ins are critical.”
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% proposed rate increase for hospices is not enough to support the carehospices provide.
Hospice leaders and lawmakers are meeting on Capitol Hill today to address the pressing issue of program integrity, among other policy priorities. Thus far, California is the only state to take action on the issue, beginning with a moratorium on new hospice licenses and an extensive audit of California’s oversight processes.
Lawmakers in Connecticut and Vermont have recently introduced legislation aimed at protecting hospice and home health workers. Some stakeholders worry that the laws may impact care continuity among vulnerable homebound terminally ill populations lacking end-of-life support. The Connecticut Hospice was among those providers.
Arkansas-based Hospice of the Ozarks has launched a non-medical care training program to improve caregiving support. The hospice’s new Care Coaching program is being offered at no cost to family caregivers. Providing care coaching could ultimately result in improved goal-concordant outcomes, he stated.
Quality data are becoming another arrow in the quiver for hospices seeking to improve retention and recruitment. A hospice’s publicly reported quality data can paint a picture of how an organization stands up against competitors for future and current staff. This includes the possibility of new health equity-related measures.
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