Hospice News

JANUARY 19, 2024

Though the number of hospice M&A deals plummeted in 2023 compared to prior years, deals are still being made, and the industry may see a rebound in 2024. The following are some potential buyers to watch in 2024. But the company is almost certainly not done in the acquisition game, and further activity is likely in 2024.

2024 245

2024 Hospice Homecare 2023 245

Hospice News

JANUARY 29, 2024

Rising demand In 2024, demand will continue to rise, driven by a number of factors. Fee-for-service Medicare, for example, only covers physician and licensed independent practitioner services and does not cover the full range of interdisciplinary palliative care. But they do represent a glimmer of hope.

Palliative care 236

Palliative care 2024 Palliate 2030 236

Hospice News

DECEMBER 4, 2023

After the tumultuous years of the pandemic, VITAS Healthcare expects a stable growth trajectory heading into 2024. Though the company has not yet released financial guidance for 2024, VITAS anticipates a “predictable” 2024 in terms of earnings and growth, executives said at Monday’s Bank of America Healthcare Conference.

2024 247

2024 Social worker 2023 2020 247

Hospice News

JANUARY 31, 2024

The Texas-based home health and hospice company VitalCaring Group was built largely through acquisitions, and the company expects to step up that strategy in 2024 with an emphasis on hospice. We’re very well-poised going into 2024 to start executing on our growth strategy. How have things been progressing since then?

2024 231

2024 Hospice Companion care 2021 231

Hospice News

NOVEMBER 2, 2023

The ability to monitor and educate staff on their roles and responsibilities in compliance will be a key for hospice sustainability and quality heading into 2024, Piland said at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) Annual Leadership Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas. On Wednesday, the U.S.

2024 216

2024 Hospice Medicare Document 216

Hospice News

JANUARY 11, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires hospices to offer bereavement care for a minimum of 13 months following a patient’s death. The post Grief Care’s 2024 Outlook in Hospice appeared first on Hospice News. Grief’s care largest staffing gaps The U.S.

Grief 275

Grief 2024 Bereavement Hospice 275

Hospice News

DECEMBER 21, 2023

Recently, many of those efforts have included advocacy around program integrity within the Medicare Hospice Benefit. Today, they proposed a transitional board who will consider ratifying the organizations’ combination plan in early 2024. The post NAHC, NHPCO Name Transition Board to Guide 2024 Merger appeared first on Hospice News.

2024 255

2024 Palliative care Homecare Palliate 255

Hospice News

MAY 3, 2023

Federal regulators are cracking down on the private insurers that administer Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began giving plans more flexibility around the definition of “primarily health-related.” The rule included an increase to MA payment of 3.32% for 2024.

Medicare 219

Medicare Palliative care Palliate 2024 219

Hospice News

JUNE 30, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a requirement that would prohibit hospice owners from selling their businesses within 36 months of Medicare enrollment. The agency included these plans in its proposed home health rule for 2024. The agency wants to move ahead with it in 2024.

2024 242

2024 Hospice Medicare 2022 242

Hospice News

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

This year has brought both tumultuous challenges and evolving opportunities for hospices that will steer hospice leadership during 2024. Among them is an evolving conversation around potential changes to the Medicare Hospice Benefit, an increasing focus on equitable access and service diversification to engage patients further upstream.

2024 257

2024 Hospice 2030 Medicare 257

Hospice News

MARCH 31, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) late Friday released the 2024 proposed payment rule for hospice providers. The proposed FY 2024 rates for hospices that do not submit the required quality data would be updated by the proposed FY 2024 hospice payment update percentage of 2.8% The post CMS Proposes 2.8%

2024 187

2024 Hospice Medicare 2023 187

Hospice News

OCTOBER 16, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) updated risk adjustment policy could lead to tightened belts — or a golden opportunity — for palliative care providers in Medicare Advantage. patients is now reimbursed through risk-based models like Medicare Advantage and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).

2024 182

2024 Palliative care Palliate Medicare 182

Hospice News

AUGUST 25, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2024 updates to the Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health (ACO REACH) model: care coordination, managing health equity-related risks and social determinants of health. Three principles are guiding the U.S.

2024 181

2024 Care coordination Care coordinator Medicare 181

Hospice News

AUGUST 18, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed new pathways to support family caregivers for patients with serious illnesses. The agency’s 2024 physician fee schedule proposed rule contains a number of provisions related to caregiver assistance, health equity, interdisciplinary care and social determinants of health.

2024 212

2024 Caregiver Medicare 2020 212

Hospice News

JANUARY 2, 2024

After a rocky year for M&A, two of the publicly traded hospice providers are poised to pursue more deals in 2024. Pennant on the hunt For Pennant, 2024 will likely see a continuation of recent activity. The post The Public Hospice Companies Most Likely to Acquire in 2024 appeared first on Hospice News.

Hospice companies 198

Hospice companies 2024 Hospice Homecare 198

Hospice News

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

You have better care outcomes,” Molosky said during the Hospice News 2024 Outlook Webinar. Watch (click here): Hospice News 2024 Outlook Webinar The hospice (and larger health care) workforce has been dwindling even as demand for care rises. Your turnover is less; you have to reinvest less frequently.

2024 147

2024 Webinar Hospice Medicare 147

Hospice News

OCTOBER 3, 2023

Hospice News sat down with Marcantonio at NHPCO’s Annual Leadership Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, to discuss the hospice industry’s priorities for the remainder of 2023 and into 2024. What else is top of mind for you as you’re looking ahead to 2024? But of course other priorities exist.

2024 269

2024 Palliative care Hospice Palliate 269

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. Part of the problem is that the [Medicare] Hospice Benefit is 40 plus years old.

Medicare 244

Medicare Hospice 2020 2024 244

Hospice News

OCTOBER 11, 2023

NYSE: HUM) CEO Bruce Broussard will step down in late 2024, with incoming COO and president Jim Rechtin on deck to succeed him. 8, 2024 and will take the helm following Broussard’s departure. Humana is the second-largest operator of Medicare Advantage plans, representing 18% of that market, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

2024 215

2024 Healthcare 2011 2013 215

Hospice News

JANUARY 31, 2024

Palliative care, pediatric end-of-life care and end-of-life doula (EOLD) services are top of mind for hospices that are diversifying their services in 2024. About 3% of respondents indicated plans to start offering PACE programs, while 1% are stepping into home-based pediatric hospice services in 2024.

2024 223

2024 Hospice Homecare Palliative care 223

Hospice News

JULY 28, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is giving hospices a 3.1% increase to their per diem payments for 2024, according to a final rule published Friday. payment boost the agency initially proposed for 2024 hospice payments back in March. The finalized rule also raises the aggregate payment cap to $33,494.01

2024 221

2024 Hospice 2023 Medicare 221

Hospice News

APRIL 3, 2023

The 2024 proposed hospice rule from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) signals the agency’s earliest response to widespread calls to bolster program integrity within the benefit. The post Program Integrity Takes Center Stage in CMS’ 2024 Proposed Hospice Rule appeared first on Hospice News.

2024 240

2024 Hospice Medicare Palliative care 240

Hospice News

DECEMBER 6, 2023

Palliative care’s continued expansion Palliative care leaders expect continued growth in 2024, driven by the proliferation of value-based payment models, greater recognition of these services’ quality improvement and cost savings potential. In addition to the expansion of existing programs, more are cropping up.

Palliative care 293

Palliative care 2024 Palliate Social worker 293

NHPCO

MARCH 5, 2024

For Immediate Release March 4, 2024 (Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) responded to today’s announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that as of December 31, 2024, the hospice benefit component of the Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model will conclude.

2024 83

2024 2025 Hospice End-of-life care 83

Hospice News

JULY 28, 2022

House of Representatives has approved a bill that would extend telehealth waivers until the end of 2024, whether or not the COVID-19 public health emergency is extended. And this bill will provide stability through 2024, while giving Congress time to address how to make the policies permanent.”

2024 235

2024 Hospice 2020 2021 235

Hospice News

MAY 31, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reconsider the proposed 2.8% base rate increase for 2024. The post Hospice Providers, Industry Groups: CMS Should Increase 2024 Hospice Base Rate by Nearly 4% appeared first on Hospice News.

2024 244

2024 Hospice 2023 Article 244

Hospice News

NOVEMBER 14, 2023

Investment trends in the hospice industry have meandered in recent years, impacting providers’ approaches to growth in 2024. In total hospice care saves Medicare roughly $3.5 What M&A trends mean for 2024 Aside from rising payer interest, private equity buyers have increasingly stepped into the hospice space.

2024 199

2024 Hospice Geriatrics Palliative care 199

Hospice News

APRIL 26, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has delayed the implementation of hospice certifying physician Medicare enrollment requirements. CMS delayed the date to enroll in or opt out of Medicare until June 3 for physicians who certify hospice services.

Hospice 215

Hospice Medicare Medical director 2024 215

Hospice News

MARCH 21, 2024

Members of Congress are raising questions about the continued Medicare certification for new hospices in areas rife with fraud. Investigations have shown that potentially hundreds of newly licensed hospices have bilked Medicare of millions of dollars during the past several years, all while providing egregiously poor care or none at all.

2010 243

2010 Hospice Medicare 2024 243

Hospice News

OCTOBER 4, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed changes to the 2024 physician fee schedule (PFS) and other Medicare Part B payment policies. The annual Physician Fee Schedule includes updates on what services will be included and paid for by Medicare Part B.

2024 147

2024 Caregiver Definition Medicare 147

Hospice News

MARCH 8, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has honed in on hospice program integrity through a number of new regulations, including some in the agency’s 2024 hospice final rule. The regulations focused on Medicare enrollment in an effort to stifle unethical or illegal activity in the space.

Hospice 258

Hospice 2024 Medicare 2021 258

Hospice News

MARCH 26, 2024

Though many expect a hospice M&A rebound in 2024, the scales are tipping in favor of home health companies among buyers. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has honed in on hospice program integrity through a number of new regulations, including some in the agency’s 2024 hospice final rule.

2024 242

2024 Hospice 2025 Medicare 242

Hospice News

MAY 16, 2024

The company in December 2023 picked up Arizona-based Southwestern Palliative Care & Hospice after acquiring five Medicare hospice providers in multiple states the prior month. Hospice utilization in Texas runs high, with 143,284 Medicare decedents using these services in 2021, according to the U.S. year-over-year increase.

Hospice 149

Hospice 2024 Nursing Medicare 149

Chicago Caregiving

JANUARY 3, 2024

While there was no charge to my mother, there was a multi-thousand dollar charge to Medicare for something my mother never needed nor experienced. I called her insurance company, which transferred me to Medicare. Medicare investigators would first confirm my allegations and then try to recoup the funds that it had paid out.

Medicare 52

Medicare 2024 Information Caregiver 52

Hospice News

JANUARY 12, 2024

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has voted to recommend a freeze on hospice payment increases starting in 2025. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The 2021 aggregated Medicare hospice margin was 13.3%, according to MedPAC.

2025 262

2025 Hospice Medicare 2024 262

Hospice News

MAY 8, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), they would not be able to recertify via telehealth. Also, clinicians who are not enrolled in Medicare or who validly opted out would likewise be prohibited. It also includes some exceptions. If a hospice is undergoing a period of enhanced oversight by the U.S. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.)

2026 268

2026 2025 Medicare 2024 268

NHPCO

MARCH 11, 2024

For Immediate Release March 7, 2024 (Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and its We Honor Veterans (WHV) program responded to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) clarification on concurrent care eligibility for Veteran beneficiaries.

Medicare 68

Medicare 2024 End-of-life care Hospice 68