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How 3 Hospice Companies Are Beating the Workforce Shortage

Hospice News

hospice providers have the same problem — a workforce shortage — many seek to address it using unique solutions. Worsening workforce shortages have been keeping hospice leaders awake at night for several years running. Hospices, in turn, have taken new steps to gain or keep their staff, particularly clinicians. Though most U.S.

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Hospice Medical Director Receives 50-Month Prison Sentence for $150M Fraud

Hospice News

A federal judge has sentenced Jesus Virlar-Cadena, formerly a medical director for the Texas-based hospice company Merida Group, to 50 months in prison for his role in a $152 million scheme. Several co-conspirators were also convicted, including the company’s owner, Rodney Mesquias, and CEO Henry McInnis.

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CMS 2025 Proposed Rule Signals Changes to Quality Measurement, Omits Program Integrity Actions

Hospice News

The 2025 proposed hospice rule is raising some questions along with payment rates. increase in hospice per diems for 2025. The agency also proposed two new quality measures and 2025 implementation of the Hospice Outcome and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) assessment tool to replace the Hospice Item Set.

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Blue Monarch CEO: Hospice Startup Seeks to Raise Bar on Quality

Hospice News

Nurse practitioner Raphael and registered nurse Britt Akobundu, a married couple, launched San Diego-based Blue Monarch Hospice this past March, with the intent of improving the quality of life for not only patients and families, but also health care workers. . As a nurse practitioner, what led you to begin a hospice program?

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CMS Proposes ‘36-Month Rule’ to Curb Hospice License ‘Flipping’

Hospice News

Some hospice owners have been selling their businesses soon after securing a license. The practice appears to stem from a rash of newly licensed hospices that have emerged in California, Nevada, Texas and Arizona. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to strengthen program integrity for the Medicare Hospice Benefit. “I

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Why Skilled Nursing, Assisted Living Operators Invest in Home-Based Hospice Programs

Hospice News

Offering hospice can be a gamechanger for skilled nursing and assisted living operators looking to stand out from competitors and improve patient reach. Home-based care, including hospice, has become an increasingly attractive space for facility-based health care providers of all walks. Among the 1.6

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What New Allegations that HCA Healthcare Pressured Patients Mean for Hospices

Hospice News

Recent allegations that staff at HCA Healthcare (NYSE: HCA) put pressure on patients to enter hospice dovetail with longstanding questions over how and when patients should be referred. SEIU benchmarked HCA’s hospice transfer rates against national data. It’s hard to say that you have proof. This looks really questionable.”