Denied claims are frustrating and expensive for hospice providers. According to the American Medical Association, Medicare annually denies 4.2% of all claims, the highest rate among U.S. payers, while the average denial rate across the hospice industry is higher, ranging from 5% to 10%. Hospices will spend an extra $25 to $30 each time they […]
Hospice supply lines have been strained to the limit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as has the U.S. health care system at large. Providers of all types are reporting serious shortages of necessary materials, including essential personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent infections, such as masks, face shields and sterile gloves. “This is really unprecedented […]
Provisions of a massive stimulus package currently being debated in the U.S. Senate would allow hospices to use telehealth in lieu of face-to-face encounters as well as temporarily ending the practice of sequestering 2% of hospice payments from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, […]
With older adults suffering from chronic or life-limiting medical conditions among those most vulnerable during the COVID-19 outbreak, nursing homes across the country are restricting access to their facilities. As a result, hospice providers have experienced difficulty accessing their patients in nursing home settings. Nursing home populations are at the highest risk of being affected […]
State and federal agencies are taking steps to help alleviate the burdens placed on the health care system by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few of the actions so far are oriented around the specific needs of the hospice and palliative care communities. This could signal a lack of awareness or understanding of the needs of […]
A wish among bereaved families of hospice patients is that their loved one had been referred to hospice earlier, new research has found. Researchers from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute surveyed 140 bereaved family members to evaluate their experiences of the clinical care their loved one received and the perceived effect this care had on […]
As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to take shape, hospices are increasingly using telehealth services to limit physical contact with patients and practice social distancing. Strategies to implement this method of support to patients and their families are evolving during the worldwide health emergency. Hospices around the country are working to reduce risk of exposure to […]
A coalition of hospice industry groups has written to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) asking Congress to take legislative action to help hospices endure the ongoing pandemic and continue to provide care to patients and families. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), the National […]
While much of the nation grinds to a halt amid the COVID-19 pandemic, hospice providers remain on the move — providing essential care to suffering patients and families in their homes and communities. In my observations of the hospice community, going the extra mile seems to be a matter of course for providers. Nurses have […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is expanding the use of telehealth to help patients, families and clinicians practice social distancing during the ongoing pandemic. To date, CMS has not confirmed whether hospice physicians will be able to conduct certifications or recertifications using telehealth rather than the currently required face-to-face encounter. CMS […]
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