Hospice News

OCTOBER 28, 2024

Hospices have grown increasingly frustrated by fraudulent operators in the space and how their activities affect legitimate operators’ financial health. Calls for benefit reform More hospices are coming under regulators’ microscope of increased auditing activity aimed at detecting malfeasance and improper spending.

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

This “license flipping” activity is prominent among bad actors who have been implicated in fraud, though until now it hasn’t been technically illegal. A main purpose of most audit types is to identify hospice providers with frequent errors on their billing claims or other activity that CMS considers to be unusual.

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Hospice News

JANUARY 2, 2025

The industry saw a flurry of M&A activity in 2019 and 2020, with record high valuations and deal volume. A key consideration for 2025 is how a change in presidential administration could impact hospice M&A activity nationwide, according to Herman. Also, the U.S.

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

Reimbursement, regulatory trends Hospice valuations and M&A activity burgeoned in previous years, reaching record highs in 2019 and 2020. However, private equity activity is anticipated to ramp back up by the end of this year and beginning of next, according to Rebecca Springer, lead analyst in health care for Pitchbook.

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 9, 2024

Hospice Investors to Watch Hospice merger and acquisition (M&A) activity has seen a cooling period compared to previous record-breaking years in the market. Grief camp programs have included pet, art and music therapies alongside group activities such as martial arts, yoga, meditation, hiking and ziplining, among others.

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Hospice News

MARCH 26, 2024

Generally, signs point to heightened buyer activity this year, particularly among private equity as interest rates start to come down. A recent survey by the M&A firm Mertz Taggart, found that 77% of 51 home-based care buyers indicated that they would be more active in the M&A market this year compared to 2023.

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Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

Symptoms may impact multiple patient activities including, but not limited to, sleep, concentration, day-to-day activities, or ability to interact with others.” The post CMS Issues Guidance for Hospices on HOPE Tool Implementation appeared first on Hospice News.

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Hospice News

MARCH 8, 2024

The regulations focused on Medicare enrollment in an effort to stifle unethical or illegal activity in the space. Moreover, many hospices have been the subject of audits by various Medicare contractors, activity that shows no signs of slowing. And they are gaming it to see if five years down the road it’s gonna work out.”

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Hospice News

JUNE 14, 2024

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. The fraudulent activity has involved the enrollment of ineligible patients, often without their knowledge or consent.

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Hospice News

JULY 9, 2024

Though the hospice includes children activities and therapies within its scope of bereavement services, it did not yet have a formalized youth program. “We The program will provide developmentally-appropriate activities such as games, crafts and conversations centered on addressing the emotional aspects of grief.

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Hospice News

FEBRUARY 13, 2024

We believe that the VR relaxation experiences not only render relaxation experiences, but also activate psychological mechanisms that promote self-determination … all of which traditional face-to-face relaxation may not easily facilitate.”

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Hospice News

OCTOBER 27, 2023

Hospices are increasingly wading through an alphabet soup of auditing activity in the industry. In the midst of this activity, providers need to understand their options for appeals, according to Meg Pekarske, partner at the law firm Husch Blackwell. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) considers to be unusual.

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Hospice News

JANUARY 19, 2024

But the company is almost certainly not done in the acquisition game, and further activity is likely in 2024. Last year, Gentiva was among the comparatively few companies that actively pursued large hospice deals. The Pennant Group For The Pennant Group (NYSE: PNTG), 2024 will likely see a continuation of recent activity.

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Hospice News

AUGUST 12, 2024

The Virginia-based nonprofit capitalized the program largely through philanthropic donations Participants in the program will receive preventative, primary, acute and long-term health and personal care services, including social activities.

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Hospice News

JULY 16, 2024

Fraudulent activity in the hospice space may be leaving some families without sufficient bereavement support. The impacts of fraudulent activity in hospice on patients and their families can be devastating,” Kraus told Hospice News. The impacts of fraudulent activity in hospice on patients and their families can be devastating.

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Hospice News

JULY 26, 2023

A restructuring of the Medicare Hospice Benefit could have impacts on merger and acquisition activity in the industry. Hospice M&A activity has been up for several years running. So you’ve got a bit of enhanced regulatory scrutiny on the industry, and that tends to cool off activity.”

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Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

Fraudsters in some regions have increasingly approached seniors attending activities such as bingo at their church or local community centers, a hospice executive told Hospice News on condition of anonymity. Bad actors are willing to take financial hits and even face potential imprisonment for their activities.

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Hospice News

JULY 21, 2023

In addition to those pressures, the industry is also in a cooling period in which companies focus on integrating the assets that many acquired during flurries of activity in 2021 and 2022, according to Mark Kulik, senior managing director at The Braff Group. This year will be the second consecutive year-over-year decline in hospice activity.

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Hospice News

AUGUST 25, 2022

Despite slowed intensity thus far in 2022 compared to previous years, the hospice sector has “remained active” and “still outpaces” other markets in health care, according to a recent report from Bass Berry & Sims. Regulators have kept a close watch on hospice deals as merger and acquisition activity swells in the space.

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 18, 2024

The auditing environment has heated up in the hospice industry, with inconsistencies reportedly proliferating among the various types of regulatory enforcement activity — particularly those performed by Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs). The issue has some hospice providers delving deeper into a range of compliance strategies.

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Aging Life Care Association

OCTOBER 4, 2024

Caring for an older adult with cognitive difficulties, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, requires patience, empathy, and a thoughtful approach to daily activities. As our loved ones with dementia might have communication challenges, we become more attuned to observing body language and facial expressions.

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 12, 2023

.” – Adam Royal, attorney, Husch Blackwell “With the 36-month rule, it’s one of a lot of actions that CMS has taken in terms of its response to the fraudulent activity. We assume that in the future, they’ll continue that monitoring and oversight and see how these actions work in terms of controlling that activity.

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

Hospices have pivoted their compliance strategies in response to increased auditing activity as regulators seek to weed out malfeasance and improve quality and program integrity.

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Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

One of the founding members, Elizabeth Hospice, left the network due to divergent activities and timelines that complicated their participation. CHN is actively recruiting new members. “We Three hospices in 2013 established Ohio’s Hospice, for instance.

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Hospice News

OCTOBER 25, 2024

To achieve this kind of connection, hospice nurses must actively listen to their patients and get to know their needs, wishes and goals, nurse case manager Janet Winegarner, also from By the Bay Health, told Hospice News. Actively listen to people, which is a harder thing to do than one thinks.”

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 16, 2024

In the midst of these activities. Court documents allege that while awaiting trial in this matter, Palma took control of three other hospices and caused the submission of approximately $4.8 million in claims for purported hospice care. Palma engaged paid marketers hundreds of thousands of dollars for referral kickbacks.

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Hospice News

AUGUST 22, 2024

Hospice transactions are facing a new world of challenges during a time when M&A activity is projected to ramp up after recent lulls. Increased private equity investment was a large propeller of heightened M&A activity. A large contingent will be seeking an exit strategy that will sustain their businesses.

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Hospice News

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

Audit activity continues to gain momentum in hospice , including Targeted Probe and Educate (TPE) audits by Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACS) and others by Unified Program Integrity Contractors (UPIC), Supplemental Medical Review Contractors (SMRC) and Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC).

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 7, 2024

Aveanna Healthcare Holdings (Nasdaq: AVAH) is ramping up its merger and acquisition activity in the home health and hospice space heading into next year. We’ll stay focused on the [private duty service (PDS)], home health and hospice businesses for most of our M&A activity.” The company saw a 6.5%

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Hospice News

JUNE 26, 2024

The fraudulent activity has ignited a swath of increased program integrity oversight and regulatory changes. The bill’s proposed changes around certifying hospice physicians could help curb rising fraudulent activity tied to kick-back schemes and violations of the False Claims Act (FCA).

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 23, 2024

Scott Herman, founder and CEO of New Day Healthcare LLC, to uncover the scope of hospice assets currently in the market and the factors that are both fueling and challenging M&A activity. The post Elevate Podcast: G. Scott Herman, CEO, New Day Healthcare appeared first on Hospice News.

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Hospice News

MARCH 6, 2024

The palliative performance scale measures declines in a patient’s health status, including data around assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), ambulation and mobility, changes in appetite, sleep and incontinence, among others. Understanding this scale is important as hospice staff can be proactive in their care,” Lovely said.

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Hospice News

AUGUST 31, 2023

Thus far in 2023, hospice merger and acquisition activity has deviated from prior years. But in 2023, private equity activity slowed from its formerly frenzied pace. Despite the slowdown, activity is likely to pick up during the second half of the year, including some larger deals, according to Vesely.

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Hospice News

JULY 12, 2024

The bill would also implement a temporary, national moratorium on the enrollment of new hospices into Medicare, to help stem the tide of fraudulent activities among recently established providers concentrated primarily in California, Arizona, Texas and Nevada. 1, 2019 and Dec.

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Hospice News

JANUARY 23, 2025

The center will be located in Jacksonville, Florida, and create a dedicated, child-friendly space for pediatric palliative and hospice patients and their families to receive caregiver support and engage in recreational and therapeutic activities. Support and activities for siblings will also be a vital part of the services offered.

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Hospice News

MARCH 12, 2024

Survey respondents also indicated that audit contractor activities are “opaque, inconsistent and uneven,” resulting in severe inefficiencies for hospices. We look forward to continued engagement to ensure that oversight activities are conducted appropriately and effectively to protect the hospice benefit.”

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Hospice News

OCTOBER 15, 2024

The moratorium would be intended to help curb fraudulent activity occurring among newly established providers, particularly in four hotbed states of Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas. Establishing the TEP could potentially ease pressures for hospice providers as they contend with heightened auditing activity.

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