Hospices have increasingly sought ways to demonstrate their value proposition to payers in anticipation of the approaching value-based insurance design model demonstration project, coming in 2021. Establishing relationships with participating payers, broadening the scope of care and services, and tracking patient care data will be essential next steps for hospices planning to participate in the […]
MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care in New York settled a whistleblower case against a former employee under the civil False Claims Act for $5.225 million. The hospice acknowledged resolution of the private citizen action filing in a statement shared with Hospice News. “The allegation was that medical record documentation for hospice levels of care for […]
Annie Acs, director of policy and innovation for National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) recently spoke with Hospice News about the opportunities and challenges for hospice providers navigating towards Primary Care First. Of the payment options that fall under its umbrella, the Serious Illness Population (SIP) model shows potentially the greatest promise for hospice […]
A rising number of hospice providers nationwide have diversified services to include palliative care in an effort to engage patients further upstream and open up new lines of revenue. Despite these efforts, palliative care remains widely untapped in many areas throughout the United States, with knowledge gaps about the nature of these services acting as […]
Hospice and home health provider LHC Group (NASDAQ: LHCG) is doubling down on hospice expansion through the last half of the year. Having voiced its intention to double its national hospice footprint last December, the company expects to cast a wider net in 2020 through acquisitions with joint venture partners. Similar to many providers across the country, […]
A new facility designed to meet the needs of hospice patients and their families broke ground in North Carolina. The Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County (HPCIC) Mooresville Hospice House will improve access to end-of-life care for the community’s growing aging population. Constructed by G.L. Wilson Building Co., the 13,400 square-foot facility will house […]
Initially hitting states like Louisiana, New York and Washington the hardest, hospices in these and surrounding regions quickly took measures to protect the high-risk seriously ill and dying patients most vulnerable to COVID-19. The coronavirus pandemic has since stretched into new “hotspot” regions across the nation during the summer months, with hospice providers continuing to […]
The number of hospice providers that are diversifying their services lines to include palliative care continues to rise. Programs like Medicare Advantage and the Primary Care First initiative, particularly the Serious Illness Population model, present opportunities for further growth as well as improving access and quality of care for patients. Currently, hospices provide about 50% […]
Hospices provide about 50% of the community-based palliative care in the United States, but these programs are often viewed as a loss leader. Hospice Buffalo has leveraged data and relationships with payers to create a growing palliative care program that feeds their bottom line while addressing patient needs. Stakeholders in the hospice space have recognized […]
A focus on quality improvement can enhance patient care as well as a hospice’s bottom line as they prepare to demonstrate their value proposition to payers when the Medicare Advantage hospice carve-in comes in 2021. Providers can benefit from transforming their organizational cultures and moving their workforce towards a pay-for-performance outlook in anticipation of the […]