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 […]

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 […]

[UPDATED] Nearly 53% of Hospices Undergo Multiple Audits Simultaneously

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! Program integrity and an onslaught of audits are top of mind for many hospice providers in 2024. The nation’s four largest hospice industry organizations — LeadingAge, the National […]

How Changing Reproductive Health Laws Could Impact Perinatal Hospice

Evolutions in reproductive health laws may have reverberating impacts on the demand and delivery of perinatal hospice care. Perinatal hospice care is provided to families choosing to continue a pregnancy following a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis indicating a high risk of mortality before or shortly after birth. This care includes emotional, spiritual and medical support to […]

How CON Laws Influence Hospice Quality, Program Integrity

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! Variations in hospice certificate of need (CON) state laws are raising program integrity concerns. However, this coin has two sides. CONs have a big role to play when it comes […]

Bill to Re-Allocate Federal Hospice Dollars Moving Forward in Congress

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! A new legislative package winding its way through Congress could re-allocate hospice funds to other programs. Lawmakers incorporated language from proposed amendments to the Social Security Act into a six-bill […]

Frontline Hospice Staff Need to Understand New CMS Survey Methods

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! Ensuring staff are educated around revisions to hospice survey processes will be key to navigating ongoing regulatory changes in the industry. Revisions to hospice surveys have been in the pipeline […]

CMS to Sunset Hospice VBID in 2024

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will end the hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID) as of Dec. 31. Often called the “hospice carve-in,” the program was designed to test coverage of hospice care through Medicare Advantage, in addition to some coverage of palliative care and transitional care. The hospice […]

Stakeholder Support Grows for Hospice Patient Transfusions Legislation

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! Stakeholders are closely eying the legislative journey of a bill designed to improve access to blood transfusion services among hospice patients. If enacted, it could affect hospices’ ability to […]

Justice Department Launches UnitedHealth Group Antitrust Investigation

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! The U.S. Justice Department is investigating UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) due to antitrust concerns. During the past two years, the insurance giant has completed a slew of acquisitions […]