The U.S. 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. Stipulated in the 2024 hospice payment rule and part of the Affordable Care Act, […]
Pediatric palliative care providers have room for improvement when it comes to understanding the factors that can impact health care decisions among seriously ill young adults and adolescents. A diverse range of social, emotional and psychological developmental factors can complicate the ability of pediatric palliative providers to navigate advance care planning conversations and deliver goal-concordant […]
Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE) subsidiary VITAS Healthcare is ramping up its strategic growth plans in both hospice and palliative care amid rising demand for these services. VITAS earlier this month completed its $85 million acquisition of Covenant Health and Community Services’ hospice operations and one assisted living facility location. Announced in March, the deal marked […]
Health systems are increasingly growing their hospice and palliative care service lines, with philanthropy among the key ways to fuel these programs’ sustainability. Providers across the continuum have felt the impact of workforce and economic strains in recent years. The pandemic has only exacerbated issues such as rising wages and staffing shortages, while also contending […]
A group of Wisconsin-based organizations, including hospices, are working to improve end-of-life care among homeless populations. A recent grant from local government agencies is helping to fuel these efforts. Solace Friends Inc. is among the organizations to receive $100,000 in grant funding that helped launch an adult family center. Dubbed Solace Home, the four-bed residential […]
Hospices that see higher numbers of patients in assisted living facilities tend to have lower quality scores than other providers, research has found. Hospice providers with higher volumes of assisted living-based patients are 7% more likely to receive lower quality scores than those in other settings, according to a recent study, published in the Journal […]
Lawmakers in Connecticut and Vermont have recently introduced legislation aimed at protecting hospice and home health workers. Some stakeholders worry that the laws may impact care continuity among vulnerable homebound terminally ill populations lacking end-of-life support. Legislators in Vermont recently passed an act related to mental health response service guidelines and social service provider safety, […]
Research has found links between greater telemedicine utilization and improvements in health care access and quality, particularly among chronically ill populations. A recent Health Affairs study has dug into the quality and cost impacts of telehealth utilization during the pandemic. Researchers examined more than 5.5 million beneficiaries with continuous enrollment in traditional Medicare who received […]
The lines of palliative and psychiatric services may increasingly intersect as demand for collaborative care swells among seriously ill populations with mental health conditions. Though palliative care and behavioral health collaborations can be beneficial for patients, widespread misconceptions and a fragmented health care system represent significant headwinds curbing growth. The impact of limited access to […]
Calls are growing louder in support of increased accreditation organization oversight that could help curb fraudulent activity in the hospice space. In a proposed rule released in February the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced a number of provisions aimed at addressing conflicts of interest and establishing more consistent standards, processes and […]
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