Hospice News

AUGUST 26, 2022

Medicare reimbursement is the lifeblood of hospice providers, and a clear understanding of policies like budget neutrality can help elucidate the payment systems that keep their businesses running. For example, CMS wouldn’t cut hospital payments to increase rates for hospices. These reductions occur within each service.

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Hospice News

MAY 30, 2023

Los Angeles-based Hospice Home Care recently rolled out a scholarship program for hospice aides in a move towards building career pathways and improving retention. Los Angeles County needs to hear the voices of those who provide Los Angeles hospice care to the residents of this county as they near the end of life.”

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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.

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Hospice News

MARCH 4, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will end the hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID) as of Dec. Often called the “hospice carve-in,” the program was designed to test coverage of hospice care through Medicare Advantage, in addition to some coverage of palliative care and transitional care.

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Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

A coalition of hospice and palliative care industry groups has urged lawmakers to make billing codes for telehealth available on Medicare hospice claim forms. Hospice providers need the opportunity to reflect the full scope of care provided to patients experiencing serious illness.”.

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Hospice News

APRIL 12, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed 2025 hospice rule contains clarifications on which physicians may certify patients for hospice enrollment. Clarification from CMS in these areas will be helpful to hospices, physicians and those reviewing hospice records for compliance.”

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Hospice News

MARCH 1, 2023

Kosciusko Home Care & Hospice (KHCH) has merged with Stillwater Hospice amid mounting financial pressures. The two Indiana-based nonprofit hospices joined forces to ensure continued access to end-of-life care in the Kosciusko County area. This brings Stillwater’s staffing ranks to roughly 195 employees.

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Hospice News

JULY 13, 2022

More than a dozen hospice advocacy groups have called on congressional leadership to intervene in a proposed 2.7% bump in Medicare payments, which they say is insufficient in light of COVID-19 and staffing headwinds. CMS in April released the 2023 proposed payment rule for hospice providers, including the 2.7%

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Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

By the Bay Health and Mission Hospice & Home Care recently signed a letter of intent to merge the two California-organizations. The new organization – combining two of the longest-standing not-for-profit hospices in California – would be uniquely positioned to serve more patients and families.”

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Three independent providers — By the Bay Health, Mission Hospice & Home Care and Hope Hospice — will merge, becoming the largest nonprofit hospice network in northern California. In the intervening months, Hope Hospice also joined the transaction. In business, scalability is so critical. Census Bureau.

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Hospice News

APRIL 5, 2024

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed 2025 hospice rule is finalized as written, hospices may encounter some hurdles implementing some of the new requirements. CMS late last month issued its proposed hospice rule for 2025. If the U.S. The proposal called for a 2.6% The proposal called for a 2.6%

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Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

While hospice and home health M&A continue to burgeon, non-medical home care is starting to slip out from under their shadows. Deal volume for non-medical home care companies outstripped that for hospice or home health during the first half of the year. As of 2019, the U.S.

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Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022

Utah-based Canyon Home Health & Hospice recently acquired Uintah Home Health and Hospice for an undisclosed amount, growing its footprint in the Beehive State state. Uintah Home Health and Hospice patients began receiving services under the Canyon umbrella earlier this month.

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Hospice News

MARCH 6, 2024

A new legislative package winding its way through Congress could re-allocate hospice funds to other programs. If enacted, it would make adjustments to the hospice payment cap for 2033 that would free up $927 million. The nation’s four largest hospice industry groups have voice opposition to these provisions. for next year.

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Hospice News

APRIL 8, 2024

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2025 proposed hospice rule contained requests for information (RFIs) that could signal changes in the agency’s thinking on key issues. Through RFIs, CMS tries to take the pulse of providers’ positions on certain questions that could impact the Medicare Hospice Benefit.

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Hospice News

APRIL 15, 2024

Though the Medicare Advantage hospice carve-in is going away at the end of this year, those operators still have a role to play in value-based care. The carve-in, formally known as the hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID), will expire on Dec. Hospice care saves Medicare roughly $3.5

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Hospice News

AUGUST 17, 2023

Washington-headquartered Family Resource Home Care recently acquired personal care provider Companion Care, Inc., adding to its growing footprint in its home state. We are thrilled to announce our acquisition of Companion Care, Inc., Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Census Bureau.

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 1, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized its 2024 home health rule, including the implementation of a hospice Special Focus Program (SFP). The rule also finalizes the proposed “36-month”rule for hospice providers.

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Hospice News

MAY 7, 2024

NASDAQ: PNTG) brought in record-high service revenue during the first quarter of the year, in part fueled by growth in its hospice and home health service lines. Pennant is the holding company of independent subsidiaries that operate 112 home health and hospice agencies and 53 senior living communities across 13 states.

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Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

Hospice of the Foothills of Nevada County has joined the California Hospice Network, a regional collaborative of nonprofit providers. Hospice of the Foothills launched in 1979 to serve two California counties as an all-volunteer organization and now cares for more than 500 patients and families annually.

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 14, 2023

Issues of fraud in the hospice industry echo events that previously affected the home health space, and providers can learn from that prior experience. This is according to Bill Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC), who spoke Thursday in a Relias webinar.

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Hospice News

MARCH 12, 2024

Program integrity and an onslaught of audits are top of mind for many hospice providers in 2024. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). We look forward to continuing our work with CMS and Congress to ensure an equitable and effective enforcement system that preserves access to nonprofit, mission driven hospice care.”

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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). For this year, CMS increased the hospice base rate by 3.1%. set in 2023.

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 12, 2023

Program integrity issues that have heated up in the hospice space during the past five years reached a boiling point in 2023. Hospice providers have seen an array of increased regulatory oversight in 2023. There is scrutiny on hospice care [that’s] setting the stage for the next phase of what hospice oversight looks like.

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Hospice News

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

Hospice operators in 2024 are navigating a rapidly transforming environment. The prior three years have laid the groundwork for change, particularly in the regulatory space as well as gradual migration towards value-based reimbursement and in tandem, the proliferation of business lines beyond hospice.

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Hospice News

AUGUST 14, 2023

Past payment model demonstrations that included community-based palliative care offer a window into how these services could generate cost savings and improved quality. Among those demos is the Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM), which ran between 2016 and 2021. An analysis from the U.S.

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 8, 2023

Hospice providers will be looking to Congress in 2024 to address issues related to program integrity, quality improvement and industry-wide workforce pressures. As legislative efforts develop, hospices may want to focus their attention on a few key legislators. We don’t have confidence in the algorithm that they proposed.

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Hospice News

JANUARY 30, 2024

When deprescribing medications for hospice patients, providers have to navigate a complex web of factors. Medication costs are among hospices’ biggest expenses, and deprescribing some medications deemed “curative” or “unrelated” to the patient’s terminal diagnosis is a standard practice. “We Everything is based on cost.

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Hospice News

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Utah-headquartered Canyon Home Care & Hospice has acquired Arizona-based internal medicine practice Thomas G. Acquiring the internal medicine practice is part of Canyon’s mission to “drive innovation” and “increase access to high-quality health care,” the company indicated. Dallman, M.D., LLC for an undisclosed sum.

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Hospice News

MARCH 23, 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is extending the value-based insurance design demonstration for calendar years 2025 to 2030, including the hospice component. The hospice component of VBID, also called the MA carve-in, launched in 2021 and was originally slated to complete after four years. It makes sense.

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Hospice News

JANUARY 24, 2024

Wisconsin-headquartered Legacy Care Partners Inc. has acquired Superior Home Health and Superior Hospice of Texas. Combined, Superior’s home health and hospice businesses operate seven locations that serve 50 Texas counties and more than 500 cities. The company also provides care in Florida, Michigan and Wisconsin.

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Hospice News

JULY 3, 2023

and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) recently re-introduced legislation designed to expand the palliative care workforce. The two lawmakers, along with others, also brought forth a second bill designed to ensure that hospice patients who need blood transfusions can receive them. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.)

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Hospice News

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

Senate Finance Committee is holding a markup meeting today on a bill that would, among other provisions, reallocate close to $1 billion hospice dollars to other programs. A couple of sentences in a 120-page set of amendments to the Social Security Act would make adjustments to the hospice payment cap for 2033 that would free up $927 million.

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Hospice News

DECEMBER 14, 2023

Research around hospice care has come a long way. But data gaps exist when it comes to expanding understanding of some aspects of end-of-life care delivery. A range of researchers has amassed a growing base of data on hospice, with some common themes tied to quality outcomes, costs, length of stay and general inpatient care.

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NHPCO

JULY 28, 2023

For Immediate Release July 28, 2023 New Research Shows Hospice Produces Better Outcomes, Lower Medicare Costs (Washington, D.C. billion in Medicare savings in 2019, while also providing multiple benefits to patients, families, and caregivers. Hospice made that happen for mom, for me, and my family.”

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Hospice News

MAY 8, 2024

A bill currently before Congress would extend through 2026 regulatory flexibilities related to telehealth, including the ability to recertify patients for hospice care. If a hospice is undergoing a period of enhanced oversight by the U.S. A range of stakeholders in the hospice space have voiced support for the legislation.

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Hospice News

MARCH 25, 2024

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.

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