Access the Hospice News Media Kit [Sponsored]

As hospices, vendors and other stakeholders in the field prepare their 2020 budgets, it’s time to consider new ways of positioning your firm in front of thousands of professionals in the hospice and palliative care fields through branding, thought leadership and lead generation campaigns, such as advertising and sponsored content in Hospice News. Our media […]

LHC Group Acquires Hospices in Arizona, Idaho

Hospice and home health care provider LHC Group (NASDAQ: LHCG) and its joint venture partner Lifepoint Health has agreed to acquire two hospices — Casa de la Paz Hospice in Sierra Vista, Arizona; and St. Joseph Family Hospice in Lewiston, Idaho — in separate transactions for undisclosed amounts.  The companies expect to close the transactions […]

CMS to Allow Hospices to Accept Medication Orders from Physician Assistants

In a new final rule, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will permit physician assistants to send medication orders to hospices. Previously, only orders from physicians or nurse practitioners were acceptable. The rule becomes effective Jan. 1., 2020. Hospices can accept the orders from physician assistants as long as the PA is […]

The Top 10 Largest Hospice Providers of 2019

Though the hospice space remains fragmented, mergers and acquisitions are driving up market share, particularly for large providers. Along with service diversification and application of emerging technologies, M&A is helping to drive growth among the organizations named in LexisNexis Top 100 Hospices of 2019. With 4.5% of market share, VITAS Healthcare, a subsidiary of Chemed […]

Misconceptions About Hospice Care Persist Among U.S. Public

A large proportion of U.S. adults continue to have a limited understanding of hospice care, and misperceptions continue to persist, according to a new MorseLife Hospice and Palliative Care survey. Nearly 40% of people in the United States believe that the sole purpose of hospice care is to sedate patients approaching the end of life […]

Helios CEO: Be Ready for Value-Based Hospice Care

Helios Care CEO Dan Ayres is positioning his organization to hit the ground running in a value-based payment environment, prioritizing service diversification, payer and referral partner relationships and gathering the data needed to sell Helios’ value proposition as a provider of hospice and serious illness care. Ayres took the helm of Catskill Area Hospice and […]

Pennant Group Hits Home Run with Q3 M&A, Hospice Census Growth

Acquisitions and a nearly 30% rise in hospice patient census gave a substantial boost to third quarter earnings at the Pennant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: PNTG). Pennant emerged earlier this year as a hospice, home health and senior living spin-off from The Ensign Group (NASDAQ: ENSG). As part of the spin off, Ensign’s stockholders were given […]

Predictive Analytics Can Help Hospices Reach Patients Sooner

Predictive analytics systems are gaining ground in the hospice and palliative care fields as a means to identify patients in need of service earlier in the course of their illness. Providers and payers are increasingly using these systems to build their census and ensure that patients and families receive the right care at the right […]

Advance Care Planning Does Not Reduce Health Care Utilization

Although patients who have advance care plans have higher rates of hospice utilization, these plans do not reduce the likelihood that a patient would seek aggressive treatments at the end of life, a new study has found.  Health care providers and payers are giving increasing attention to advance care planning as a benefit to patients […]

Transcend Launches Hospice Incubator Franchising Model

San Antonio-based Transcend Hospice has developed a hospice incubator model for hospices that is focused on developing quick and efficient ways to get new agencies up and running. Currently operating in Texas and Illinois, Transcend markets its franchising model as “hospice in a box.” The company obtains the necessary licensing, accreditation, Medicare certification and contracts […]