Citing a need for further testing, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will not release Hospice Compare data on hospice visits during the last seven days of life as expected this summer. CMS uses Hospice Compare to publicly report hospice provider performance on quality measures.Referring organizations such as hospitals and nursing homes, […]
Obtaining necessary pain medications for terminally ill patients is becoming more complicated for hospice and palliative care providers. The advocacy group Healthcare Professionals for Patients in Pain (HP3) raised the alarm on potential misapplication of opioid prescription guidelines throughout the health care continuum in an open letter to policymakers. Pain management is a cornerstone of […]
More patients than ever are seeking hospice and palliative care, and the industry may not have enough trained clinicians to take care of them. To help fill this gap, Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-NY) and 285 bipartisan co-sponsors have reintroduced the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (H.R. 647) in the House of […]
Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) has acquired all the assets of Tulsa, Okla.-based RoseRock Healthcare, a provider of specialized hospice care to approximately 220 patients daily in northeastern Oklahoma, for an undisclosed sum. “Whether we’re delivering care at a patient’s bedside, supporting our clinical team or educating the community on the hospice benefit, hospice isn’t just […]
Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase all of the assets of privately owned Alacare Home Health & Hospice for $217.5 million. With this acquisition, Encompass Health will become the 10th largest U.S. hospice provider, based on Medicare reimbursements. EBITDA multiples were not disclosed. Birmingham, Ala.-based Alacare operates 23 […]
From Medicare advantage, a rapidly changing health care landscape, and burgeoning demand for care in a time of severe staffing shortages, William Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice has been a front-line advocate on the most pressing issues staring down hospice providers in today’s marketplace. Prior to his keynote address […]
Medicare made an estimated $2.1 billion in improper fee-for-service payments to hospices during fiscal year 2018, with more than half occurring due to documentation errors, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported. The GAO investigation focused solely on fee-for-service payments and did not examine Medicare’s managed care or outpatient prescription drug programs. Though the overall report […]
The Hospice and Home Care Foundation of North Carolina (HHCF) has launched a pilot program to develop a comprehensive and systematic on-boarding system for recently graduated and newly hired registered nurses who are working in hospice or home health for the first time. Through the program, HHCF helps to reduce the impact of ongoing staff […]
Gov. Jim Justice has signed legislation that could impact the future of hospice care in West Virginia. State Senate Bill 537 establishes a workgroup to review certificate of need regulations that could prevent new hospice providers from opening in the state. A major consideration is the question of thresholds for permitting additional hospice providers in […]
The George M. Leader Family Corp, a Pennsylvania-based retirement community operator, has added Lifesong Hospice and Palliative Care to its portfolio. Lifesong will provide hospice care to residents of the parent company’s senior living facilities throughout central Pennsylvania, including Country Meadows Retirement Communities, Providence Place, and the nonprofit Ecumenical Retirement Community in Harrisburg. “The decision […]
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