Home-Based Care Employment Exceeding Pre-Pandemic Levels

 Though labor shortages persist, glimmers of hope are on the horizon. Employment in the home-based care sector rose above pre-pandemic levels in 2023, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). The U.S. Department of Commerce defines this sector to include hospices, home health agencies, private duty, pediatric agencies and other providers of care in […]

Care Coordination, Quality Data Crucial to Hospice Referral Growth

Care coordination and quality data will be engines for hospice referral growth. Hospices saw census volumes drop during the COVID-19 public health emergency as facilities nationwide restricted access to patients amid mandated state closures. Providers often turned to electronic communications to reach patients in facility- and community-based settings alike. Adaptability has been among the keys […]

MedPAC to Congress: Freeze Hospice Rates in 2025

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has recommended to Congress a freeze on hospice payment increases starting in 2025. In its annual report to Congress, MedPAC urged policymakers to eliminate hospice base-rate increases for 2025. “Based on the positive indicators of payment adequacy and strong margins, the Commission concludes that current payment rates are sufficient […]

Preventing Adverse Drug Events in Hospice Care

Documentation errors and a fragmented health system pose the greatest risks for adverse drug events among hospices. Evaluating these risks involves having solid medication reconciliation processes in place — both at the time of a patient’s admission and throughout their end-of life care experience, according to Mary Lynn McPherson, professor and executive program director of […]

Senior Living Operator Launches Home Health, Hospice Company Dover Health

Senior living and health care services operator The Dover Companies has launched a home health and hospice business branded as Dover Health. The fledgling company pledges to offer patients a suite of wraparound services, including for the terminally ill, to support quality of life and aging in place. Its parent organization also operates senior living, […]

VITAS CEO Westfall: Market Conditions More Favorable for Hospice Acquisitions

Changes in the marketplace have made further acquisitions by VITAS Healthcare more likely. VITAS, a subsidiary of Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE), recently announced its first deal in several years, the $85 million purchase of hospice assets from Covenant Health. While the company does not comment on its specific acquisition plans or its pipeline, VITAS may […]

Hospices Stepping Up Performance on Visits-in-Last-Days-of-Life Measure

Hospices, in aggregate, are showing improvement on the quality measure for visits in the last days of life. The number of registered nurse and social worker visits during a patient’s final week is one of the seven quality measures that CMS uses to evaluate providers. In Calendar Year 2021, the share of hospice care days […]

[UPDATED] VITAS to Acquire Covenant Health and Community Services’ Hospice Business for $85M

In case you missed it, Hospice News has launched a new specialty publication for palliative care professionals. You can subscribe to Palliative Care News here: Subscribe today! VITAS Healthcare Corporation has penned an agreement to acquire Covenant Health and Community Services’ hospice operations and one of its assisted living facility locations for $85 million. The […]

California Leads the State-Level Battle Against Hospice Fraud

As hospice program integrity remains in the spotlight, California remains the only state to take action on curbing the problem. Beginning in 2021, numerous reports emerged of unethical or illegal practices among hundreds of newly licensed hospices, particularly among new companies popping up in California, Texas, Nevada and Arizona. California’s Department of Justice (CDOJ) in […]

Providers, Including Ohio’s Hospice, Feel the Squeeze from Inflation and Flat Reimbursement Growth

In case you missed it, Hospice News has launched a new specialty publication for palliative care professionals. You can subscribe to Palliative Care News here: Subscribe today! Ohio’s Hospice is among the providers experiencing staffing pressures amid lagging reimbursement rates and rising inflation.  Inflation, wage hikes and lagging reimbursement are among the main forces pressurizing hospice workforces, […]