This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Hospice providers, along with the rest of health care, are increasingly relying on technology for clinical and business operations, with artificial intelligence among the most common investments. One of hospices key goals with AI is to increase efficiency. However, careful implementation is necessary to effectively use these systems.
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.
Mahogany Home Health and Hospice recently launched services in southwestern Ohio. The new hospice startup is the first Black-owned hospice and home health organization statewide with a drive to improve utilization among underserved populations. Couzens has also held hospice chaplain roles at St.
Rami Moustafa Shaarawy recently filed a civil action lawsuit against HHS, CMS and Noridian Healthcare Solutions LLC, seeking to prevent termination of his physician billing privileges following Medicare fraud risk allegations presented by an independent contractor. court documents stated. Shaarawy filed an injunction with the U.S.
It’s not required,” Jillian Sparks, attorney at the OIG’s Industry Guidance Branch, said during a presentation at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Annual Leadership Conference. The post OIG: Dedicated Leadership Key to Effective Hospice Compliance appeared first on Hospice News.
In April, VITAS acquired Covenant Health and Community Services’ hospice operations as well as one assisted living facility in an $85 million deal. First is we like CON states or states where there are restrictions on barriers of entry,” Witzeman said during a presentation at the UBS Healthcare Conference. NYSE: CHE).
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. National hospice utilization rates reached 49.1%
Capturing real-time quality data is an important part of effectively managing patients symptoms and needs, according to Dr. Monisha Pujari, medical director of Georgia-based Longleaf Hospice & Palliative Care. The post Defining Palliative Care Quality in Murky Regulatory Waters appeared first on Hospice News.
The researchers later published their findings in the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine They found that the role of palliative care teams increased during the pandemic, and that providers of those services were a bridge between other clinicians, patients and families.
When considering transactions, the company seeks out often struggling companies in its existing or expanded markets that earn between $3 million and $10 million in revenue and sell at a multiple of 5x to 8x for hospice companies. The home health and hospice segment accounted for $135.7 Hospice average daily census grew to 3,444, a 27.7%
Hospices have widened the breadth of ways they leverage technology including artificial intelligence-assisted (AI) patient therapies to boost quality and use of predictive analytics to improve access and length of stay. That presents the opportunity to figure out prospectively how to keep risks at a minimum.
When your loved one is nearing the end of life, here are tips for what to say and do – and how to simply be present with them. The post How to be present with a loved one at the end of life appeared first on HopeHealth.
Enhabit opened five new hospice operations during 2024, building on seven that were established during 2022 and 2023. More de novos are likely on the way, a mix of home health and hospice, according to CEO Barbara Jacobsmeyer. The seven hospice locations launched in 2022 and 2023 generated $6.2 million of revenues and $1.2
Given the significance of family caregivers in hospice care, providers can benefit from having tools to assess whether or not they are experiencing burnout. Without assistance or relief, these difficulties can impede access to hospice and other types of home-based care. There’s a very high number of U.S.
Three important considerations can help hospices recruit and retain social workers — a respectful workplace culture, reasonable workloads and continuing education opportunities. The respect that they get from their colleagues on a team helps them tremendously to feel valued in their work and heard,” Leff told Hospice News.
Without assistance or relief, these difficulties can impede access to hospice. Research has shown that patients who are faced with end-of-life decisions may be less likely to choose hospice unless they have a network of friends or family who can serve as home caregivers. This only worsened during COVID-19.
A new hospice nursing recruitment effort has launched in the New England region after being stalled by the pandemic. The recruitment initiative is the fruit of a collaboration between Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire (VNH) and the Home Care, Hospice & Palliative Care Alliance of New Hampshire (the Alliance).
The Medicare Hospice Benefit could use an “upgrade” to ensure greater flexibility that may be necessary to fully support patients’ needs. million hospice recipients were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, 6.8% This is according to a recent editorial in Health Affairs by Cara L. Wallace, the Dorothy A. In Fiscal Year 2022, 7.5%
Hospice care does not occur in a vacuum, and many operators find themselves building partnerships with other community organizations to better serve patients and support their staff. Some also partner with medical and nursing schools to ensure students in health care fields gain exposure to hospice and palliative care principles. “It
Traditions Health Names SVP of Hospice Operations Traditions Health has appointed Tom Moreland as its new senior vice president of hospice operations. Franklin, Tennessee-headquartered Traditions provides hospice, home health and palliative care as well as consulting services across 18 states.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston applied an AI algorithm to facilitate timely transitions to hospice for patients presenting in the emergency department. For most of these patients, hospice care began within one to two days of prognosis. These patients were placed on observation status rather than being admitted.
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.”
Hospices are increasingly eying palliative care as a promising growth opportunity, prioritizing expansion in that field over other health care service lines. Survey respondents included nearly 330 hospice and palliative care industry professionals, including owners, executive leaders and managers, among others. It’s evolving.”
Errors or other inconsistencies with the payment cap can have significant consequences for providers, and sales and marketing staff can help hospices achieve a healthy balance. The cap is designed to prevent overuse of hospice, put controls on Medicare spending and foster greater access to care among patients.
Careful management of the hospice aggregate cap is key to providers’ sustainability as regulatory scrutiny continues to heat up. The cap is designed to prevent overuse of hospice, put controls on Medicare spending and foster greater access to care among patients. For Fiscal Year 2024, the U.S. In addition, the U.S.
Home health and hospice provider The Pennant Group (NYSE: PNTG) has been fueling expansion with a series of acquisitions and new partnerships. Most recently, The Pennant Group agreed to acquire Signature Healthcare at Home’s hospice and home health assets for a price tag of $80 million. This presented that opportunity.
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 care hospices provide.
Hospice provider Agape Care Group has acquired GHC Hospice for an undisclosed sum, furthering the company’s goal of multistate expansion through the Southeast. We’ve been laser focused in the Southeast over the last few years and do feel like it gives us the most near-term upside,” Agape CEO TroyYarborough previously told Hospice News.
Kristal Glover-Wing, the former owner of Louisiana-based Angel Care Hospice, has been found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud. Justice Department, Angel Care enrolled 24 patients in hospice between 2009 through 2017 who did not meet Medicare eligibility requirements.
Hospices, in aggregate, are showing improvement on the quality measure for visits in the last days of life. In Calendar Year 2021, the share of hospice care days with nurse visits in the last seven days of life rose to 63%, up from 62% year over year, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).
With burnout as a major cause of turnover, hospices are applying technology to take some of the pressure off of staff in hopes of boosting retention. Hospice nurses pointed to this issue as their number-one concern about their jobs in a recent survey by The Amity Group. Nurses are saying, ‘I love being a hospice nurse.
Hospice programs in central New York remain open, despite local legislators previously indicating staffing-related closures. In 2022, legislators in Oswego County in New York state voted to shutter its hospice services within the year. The post Hospice Programs Slated for Closure Remain Open appeared first on Hospice News.
Declines in digital health investment have implications for hospice and palliative care providers. Hospices may be somewhat insulated from the digital health downturn due to the ever-present need for in-person services, Booker said.
As the hospice landscape shifts and hospice care is delivered more widely, another care type has made entry into the conversation: palliative care. The shift does present challenges, however. Based upon the request of a hospice customer, Axxess began to develop a palliative care-specific technology platform in 2021.
Arizona-based Stoneridge Hospice launched services in 2020 with an aim to address a swelling aging population’s growing need for end-of-life care. Stoneridge Hospice provides home-based hospice and also contracts with other providers to offer facility-based services. Stoneridge Hospice launched in 2020.
Illinois-headquartered Unity Hospice & Palliative Care has expanded to Houston, Texas, following its acquisition of an existing license in that market. This expansion coincides with Unity’s 30 th anniversary as a premier hospice and palliative care organization,” Unity owner Michael Klein told Hospice News in an email. “As
Financial volatility across the health system presents a substantial risk to palliative care teams, because there are no requirements that health systems or plans provide palliative care (with some specific exceptions). The post Palliative Care’s Most Disruptive Forces in 2025 appeared first on Hospice News.
Anti-kickback and health care fraud cases have recently cropped up in two southern states, with hospice personnel facing millions in fines and one owner facing imprisonment for their involvement. David Lovell, its founder and owner, launched the for-profit hospice in 2010, and the enterprise became Medicare-certified in 2012.
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. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) introduced the Hospice CARE Act last month.
NYSE: CHE), has opened its first hospice house in Orange County, California, currently the only such facility in that region. More patients elect hospice in California than in any other state. The company operates 50 hospice programs across 14 states and in the District of Columbia, with 27 inpatient hospice units nationwide.
Hospices are operating in a changing competitive environment, and some are rolling with the punches better than others. With these trends stirring the pot, hospices must find ways to adapt, according to Kara Justis, vice president of strategic consulting for Trella Health. Several forces are driving the change.
Taking employee concerns seriously about patient eligibility and other issues can help prevent hospices from becoming involved in a False Claims Act case. These claims stand on their own, so even if the hospice did not violate the False Claims Act, they can still be penalized for retaliation, according to Katherine A.
Program integrity and an onslaught of audits are top of mind for many hospice providers in 2024. The organizations earlier this year presented their findings , published today, to members of Congress and the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The impetus for the audit was primarily related to billing errors.
Though evidence shows that longer hospice stays reduce costs, providers are still walking a regulatory tightrope. On one hand, longer hospice stays can lead to improved patient and family satisfaction and greater cost saving opportunities. Young told Hospice News. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 5,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content