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VA Study Finds 95% Increase in Palliative Care Utilization When Patients Have Access to Social Workers

Hospice News

Patients are more likely to receive palliative care if they can access social workers through their primary care providers, Veterans Health Administration (VA) research has found. These findings suggest that social workers may increase access to and/or use of palliative care.”.

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How Medicare Budget Neutrality Impacts Hospice Payment

Hospice News

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. But a similar move within the Medicare Hospice Benefit is unlikely. Though the is not yet final, the proposal included a 4.2%

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Calls Grow Louder for Greater Federal Support of Rural Hospices

Hospice News

Current reimbursement structures within the federally established Medicare Hospice Benefit do not sufficiently support the level of care needed in rural-based communities, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). “We House of Representatives’ Ways and MeansCommittee.

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VITAS Expects Recruitment Gains to Spur 2023 Growth, Revenue

Hospice News

The bonus program included a one-time retention payment that ranged from $2,000 to $15,000 per employee for nurses, nurse managers, home health aides and social workers. The majority of these hires were nurses, Westfall indicated. “We VITAS saw nursing home admissions rise 9.4%

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VITAS Community Access Program Spurs Upward Trend, but Staffing, COVID Headwinds Still Sting

Hospice News

Since 2020, the company has been beleaguered by the staffing shortage, reduced lengths of stay, and disruption in skilled nursing, senior housing, and to some extent acute-care referrals. These factors, along with the return of Medicare sequestration, have contributed to declining revenues. drop among those referred from hospitals.

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CAPC CEO Brynn Bowman: Palliative Services Are a Fundamental Shift in Health Care

Hospice News

Palliative care is provided by a specialty-trained team of doctors, nurses, social workers, and chaplains who work together with a patient’s other treating clinicians to provide an extra layer of support. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness.

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Providers Navigate Fragmented Payment System To Bring Palliative Care to Patients

Hospice News

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has reimbursed palliative care through a fee-for-service model that only covers physician and licensed independent practitioner services, rather than the full range of interdisciplinary care. They also must become adept at negotiating with payers, such as Medicare Advantage plans.