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Hospices Expect Forward Momentum on Labor in 2023

Hospice News

Seeds of optimism are taking root among hospice providers that industry-wide labor pressures may improve this year. Survey respondents included nearly 330 hospice and palliative care industry professionals, including owners, executive leaders and managers, among others.

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4 Ways Hospices Are Pursuing Growth in 2023

Hospice News

Hospices are blazing trails toward growth, each provider with its own range of strategies. In 2023, the focus for many is to not only expand their core business but to spread further into the care continuum. Hospice News edited comments for length and clarity.

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Smaller Deals Likely to Reign in 2023 Hospice M&A

Hospice News

Though buyers remain hungry for hospice acquisitions, smaller deals will likely be the most prevalent during 2023. The number of hospice and home health deals fell by nearly a third last year, though a few “megadeals” have driven up transaction values. Deals 2023 Outlook Report.

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Telling the ‘Story of Hospice’ in 2023: Perspectives from 8 Industry Leaders

Hospice News

If you were to write a book about hospice in 2023, what would you call it? To help answer that question, Hospice News asked the CEOs of eight providers how they would title a book about the state of the field today. Bristol Hospice and VITAS Healthcare.

2023 262
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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

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CMS Extends Hospice VBID Through 2030

Hospice News

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is extending the value-based insurance design demonstration for calendar years 2025 to 2030, including the hospice component. In 2023, the number of MA plans will swell to 3,998, up 6% from 2022. Croix HospiceThe U.S.

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VITAS Expects Recruitment Gains to Spur 2023 Growth, Revenue

Hospice News

The company expects the program to bring in roughly 25 new health care workers each month in 2023 at an estimated cost of $40 million, which VITAS hopes to offset with increased volume as staffing gains drive up capacity. “We Chemed Corp.

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Patient Safety Week 2023

AT Home Care & Hospice

Patient Safety Week 2023 Each year, Patient Safety Awareness Week (PSAW) is recognized to remind healthcare staff of the importance of promoting patient safety practices. 5 Tips The post Patient Safety Week 2023 appeared first on AT Home Care & Hospice.

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Key Trends That Will Shape the Hospice Industry in 2023

Hospice News

Most hospices are sliding into 2023 between a rock and a hard place, beset by headwinds, labor shortages and questions with no easy answers. Government oversight of hospice providers will tighten during 2023. Hospice rejection rates hit an all-time high of 41%.

2023 279
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Hospice VBID: Understanding the 2023 Program Modifications

Hospice News

The hospice component of the value-based insurance design (VBID) model will begin its third year on Jan. 1, 2023, meaning that some of the program’s rules will change. Numbers from the program’s first year offer few clues for the 2023 landscape.

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Aging Media Network Announces 2023 Aspect Awards Winners

Hospice News

Aging Media Network (AMN) is proud to announce the 2023 Aspect Awards winners. Participation from national, regional and local companies, as well as an array of creative agencies, makes the Aspect Awards a powerful benchmark for longevity marketing and creative strategy in 2023.

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Facility-Bound Hospice Patients Less Likely to Get SIA Visits

Hospice News

Hospice providers in facility-based settings may be underutilizing Medicare’s service intensity add-on (SIA). This [variation] largely occurs because hospices cannot provide SIA when the level of care is not [routine home care],” they said during the assembly.

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Systematic Change Needed to Support Family Caregivers of Hospice Patients

Hospice News

Given the critical role of family caregivers in home-based care, hospices have a vested interest in expanding their access to support. And while hospices offer social workers and spiritual care, many families continue to have unmet needs that could impede some patients’ access to hospice.

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RAND Corp.: Families Report Better Care from Nonprofit Hospices

Hospice News

The families of patients who received care from nonprofit hospices give their providers higher marks on quality than those who went with for-profits, a RAND Corp. The relative value of nonprofit and for-profit providers has been a longstanding discussion in the hospice community.

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Hospices Work to Recruit More Volunteers Before COVID PHE Ends

Hospice News

The number of hospice volunteers plunged during the first two years of the pandemic, and many are still working to rebuild their ranks. Many hospices saw volunteer volumes dip drastically as they suspended activities during the pandemic.

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Patient Safety Week 2023

Adobe Hospice & Home Health

Patient Safety Week 2023 Each year, Patient Safety Awareness Week (PSAW) is recognized to remind healthcare staff of the importance of promoting patient safety practices. 5 Tips The post Patient Safety Week 2023 appeared first on Abode Hospice & Home Health.

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Hospice Organizations Call for Change as Lawmakers Eye Program Integrity

Hospice News

Members of Congress are seeking answers from federal regulators on hospice program integrity as industry advocacy groups call for further action. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), asking for the agency to brief them on fraud and abuse within the hospice benefit.

2023 271
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Why Hospice Providers Are Ready to Spend Big on Technology

Hospice News

Hospice providers have increasingly turned to technology to connect with hard-to-reach patients, streamline back-office functions and stay ahead of the curve on worsening health conditions.

2023 222
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Hospice of the Chesapeake Unifies Brands Under Single Identity

Hospice News

Maryland-based Hospice of the Chesapeake and its affiliates are unifying under the organization’s main brand. Effective April 1, affiliates Calvert Hospice and Hospice of Charles County will be known as Hospice of the Chesapeake.

2023 197
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Nonprofit Hospices See Rebound in Thrift Store, Resale Revenue

Hospice News

After taking hits during the pandemic, nonprofit hospices are seeing supplemental revenue from resale thrift stores rebound. Many hospice organizations operate these stores to raise money for their programs. But in late 2022 and early 2023, providers are seeing signs of recovery.

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Is Hospice Losing Its Way: A Podcast with Ira Byock and Joseph Shega

GeriPal

For others, this piece, while painful to read, gave voice to what they have been feeling over the last decade – hospice has in some ways lost its way in a quest of promoting profit over care. JAMA IM 2021 Hospice Acquisitions by Profit-Driven Private Equity Firms.

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Hospices Welcome Expanded Chaplain Services Codes, Seek Clarity on Applicability

Hospice News

Hospices are seeking greater clarity on updated Medicare rules that allow hospices to document a broader range of chaplain services on claims. In recent years, the hospice community has sought better ways to measure and account for chaplain services.

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GeriPal #HPMParty at the 2023 AAHPM / HPNA Meeting in Montreal

GeriPal

Yup, we are restarting the #HPMParty in Montreal at the 2023 AAHPM/HPNA meeting. The post GeriPal #HPMParty at the 2023 AAHPM / HPNA Meeting in Montreal appeared first on A Geriatrics and Palliative Care Podcast for Every Healthcare Professional.

2023 147
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Hospice CEOs: Action Needed on Staffing, Value-Based Care, Oversight

Hospice News

Hospice leaders would like to see some changes in the space this year, particularly around staffing, payer relationships and regulation. Hospice executives in December 2022 shared their predictions for what would happen in the space during 2023. 1, 2023.

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Leading Nursing Trends for 2023

Nurse.com

Nurses working in home health may work for healthcare systems, hospice and palliative care agencies, or may even be hired by a patient privately. The post Leading Nursing Trends for 2023 appeared first on Nurse.com Blog.

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Nursing Educator Shortage Contributing to Hospice Labor Pressures

Hospice News

When retiring hospice nurses are ready to pass the torch, often no one is there to take it. A dearth of nursing educators is contributing to hospice workforce shortages, leading providers to compensate by expanding in-house training programs. MJHS Hospice and Home Care is among them. “We’re

2023 213
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HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE – UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE

Aging Life Care Association

Johnson, RN, BSN, MHA, CHPN, CCM – Aging Life Care Association® Member Palliative care and hospice care are both specialized healthcare models that focus on palliation, or relief of symptoms, associated with serious, debilitating illnesses. by Melissa L.

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Voices: Drew Bringhurst, Chief Commercial Officer, Hospice Dynamix

Hospice News

This article is sponsored by Hospice Dynamix. In this Voices interview, Hospice News sits down with Drew Bringhurst, Chief Commercial Officer, Hospice Dynamix, to learn how hospice leaders can better serve their patients and organizations by leveraging AI technology.

2023 246
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Hospice, Palliative Care Leaders Foresee a ‘New Normal’ for 2023

Hospice News

Hospice News spoke with a group of industry leaders — from publicly traded companies, private firms and nonprofit organizations — about the major trends and most pressing concerns on their radar as the new year approaches. Croix Hospice, a portfolio company of H.I.G. Croix Hospice.

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What Terminating the COVID PHE Means for Hospices

Hospice News

To a certain extent, hospices will soon be operating under pre-pandemic rules in a “post-COVID” world. Hospice and palliative care providers have long prepared for the end of the PHE, and we believe they will manage the transition seamlessly,” Marcantonio told Hospice News in an email. “It’s

2023 263
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CMS Final Rule Gives Hospice 3.8% Pay Raise for 2023

Hospice News

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will give hospices a 3.8% bump in their per diem payments for 2023, according to a final rule published today. The rule also increases the hospice aggregate cap for next year by a corresponding 3.8% The U.S.

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Two CEOs Retire, Three Hospice Leadership Teams Grow

Hospice News

She became a hospice nurse for By the Bay Health in 1996, then named Hospice of Marin, taking on various roles in clinical leadership throughout her more than 27-year tenure. “It Established more than 45 years ago, By the Bay Health is among the oldest nonprofit hospices in California.

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MedPAC Calls for Hospice Payment Cap Wage Adjustment, 20% Cut

Hospice News

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has once again recommended a 20% cut to the aggregate cap for hospice payments. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) set the 2023 cap at $32,486.92, up from nearly $31,300 per patient for Fiscal Year 2022.

2023 218
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Hospice Leaders: Dollars Alone Won’t Solve the Turnover Conundrum

Hospice News

While compensation is an important factor for attracting and keeping staff, hospices need to consider other crucial aspects. Employee benefits, a career path, organizational culture and leadership engagement also weigh into workers’ decisions to join, stay or leave a hospice.

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Legacy Hospice Acquires Safe Harbor

Hospice News

Legacy Hospice has expanded in Missouri by acquiring Safe Harbor Hospice for an undisclosed sum. We have no reason to believe this growth won’t continue,” Blair told Hospice News. “We Hospice utilization in Missouri reached 50.2%

2023 181
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Gentiva Inks Deal to Acquire Heartland Hospice from ProMedica for $710 Million

Hospice News

The hospice, palliative care and personal care provider Gentiva has agreed to acquire Heartland Hospice and other assets from the home-based care company ProMedica. The Atlanta-based provider emerged from the former hospice and personal care segments of Kindred at Home.

2023 246
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How Hospice, Behavioral Health May Cross Paths

Hospice News

Hospice and behavioral health care could increasingly intersect in coming years as demand for specialized care grows. The hospice market is expected to nearly double in the next decade, reaching $64.7 Other hospices have gone as far as acquiring behavioral health businesses.

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Hospices Increasingly Invest in Environmental Sustainability

Hospice News

More hospices are going green, making short-term investments to cultivate long-term sustainability. Among these companies is Agrace Hospice & Supportive Care, which unveiled an initiative last October to become carbon neutral by 2025, according to President and CEO Lynne Sexten.

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Congresswoman Van Duyne: Hospice Licensing Should Remain with the States 

Hospice News

Hospice licensing should remain under the authority of state governments rather than federal agencies, though lawmakers “haven’t ruled anything out” when it comes to program integrity, according Rep. I’m working to find ways to empower hospice care providers.

2023 209
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Bristol Hospice Appoints Alex Mauricio as New CEO

Hospice News

Alex Mauricio, president and chief strategy officer for Bristol Hospice, has taken the helm as CEO. Salt Lake City-based Bristol Hospice, a portfolio company of the private equity firm Webster Equity Partners, employs more than 3,000 staff in more than 76 locations across 18 states.

2023 241
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Agrace Hospice Makes Workforce Investments to Support Growing Patient Volume

Hospice News

Wisconsin-based Agrace Hospice & Supportive care is raising employee compensation and expanding their benefits. As with almost every hospice, our single biggest expense is labor — it is front and center,” Sexten told Hospice News. “We

2023 262
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Regional Hospice Unveils  New Bereavement Care Center 

Hospice News

Connecticut-based Regional Hospice recently opened a new grief support center to extend its bereavement services further across the state’s northwestern region. The center marks the latest move in Regional Hospice’s strategic growth plans.

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LeadingAge to Congress: Reform Hospice Benefit, Fund Palliative Care

Hospice News

The Medicare Hospice Benefit should allow some concurrent care, and Congress should support greater access to palliative care, among other reforms, according to LeadingAge. The most common comment our hospice members hear from patients and families is “why didn’t I get your services sooner?”

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