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Longer Hospice Stays Lead to Larger Medicare Cost Savings

Hospice News

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 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S.

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‘Upgrading’ the Medicare Hospice Benefit

Hospice News

The Medicare Hospice Benefit could use an “upgrade” to ensure greater flexibility that may be necessary to fully support patients’ needs. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) should consider is retiring the six-month terminal prognosis requirement and allowing for some concurrent care, Wallace and Wladkowski indicated.

Medicare 253
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Longer Hospice Stays Among Dementia Patients Save Medicare Dollars

Hospice News

Hospice utilization has tripled among patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) during the past two decades. The trend has ignited concerns about these patients’ lengths of stay, as well as praise for hospices’ cost-savings potential. Roughly 14.7%

Medicare 260
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NHPCO Speaks Out on 2025 Proposed Medicare Hospice Rates

Hospice News

payment increase for hospices is insufficient in today’s economic climate, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) indicated in comments on the 2025 proposed payment rule. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in March issued its 2025 proposed hospice rule, which if finalized would include a 2.6%

2025 264
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CMMI Analysis: Palliative Care Reduces Medicare Costs, Improve Patient Satisfaction

Hospice News

Despite this potential, existing programs hit barriers created by misconceptions about palliative care among referring physicians, as well as health equity concerns, among others, according to an analysts of four payment model demonstrations carried out by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation.

Medicare 289
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MA Enrollment to Outstrip Traditional Medicare in 2025

Hospice News

Growth in the number of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries will likely overtake that for traditional Medicare in 2025, according to new estimates from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The hospice component of VBID is slated to end on Dec. This is up from 34.3 million as of September 2024.

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California Physician Sentenced to 24 Months for $3.2M Hospice Fraud

Hospice News

A Ventura County, California, physician has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for Medicare fraud for medically unnecessary hospice services. Dr. Victor Contreras worked for two hospices in Pasadena California Arcadia Hospice Provider Inc., and Saint Mariam Hospice Inc. Justice Department indicated.

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