Disruptive reimbursement and regulatory challenges are top of mind for today’s hospice c-suite executives, who recently sat down with Hospice News to discuss what they see as the largest hurdles to sustainable end-of-life care delivery. Reimbursement pressures and changes among the most significant concerns for today’s hospices, according to Kristen Yntema, president and CEO of […]
A federal court has sentenced Dr. John Thropay, a former medical director for several hospice companies, to 37 months in prison for his involvement in a $2.8 million hospice fraud scheme. Among the companies for which Thropay worked was Blue Sky Hospice, located in Van Nuys, California. Between 2014 and 2016, he allegedly certified patients […]
Fraudulent hospices in California reportedly have been targeting homeless people and methadone patients, promising them a steady supply of opioids in exchange for enrolling in hospice. Three hospice leaders came forward to Hospice News to report these practices. According to their reports, unscrupulous providers have canvassed both homeless encampments and methadone clinics seeking to sign […]
The Dallas-based home health and hospice provider Intrepid USA will pay $3.85 million to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act. The settlement addresses allegations only and no determination of liability has occurred, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The company was accused of enrolling patients for both home health and hospice services […]
New York state’s new Center for Hospice and Palliative Care recently launched with an aim to increase utilization and goal-concordant outcomes among swelling aging populations in the Empire State. The state’s Department of Health on Tuesday announced the center’s opening, which will operate under its Office for Aging and Long Term Care (OALTC). The location […]
If enacted, the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act could open up reimbursement pathways for high-acuity palliative services during a time when demand and costs are rising. Developed by U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenaur (D-Oregon) and announced in June at the Hospice News Elevate conference, the bill proposed massive reimbursement and regulatory changes […]
Hospices need a three-pronged approach to prepare for, respond to and appeal audits as more providers come under a wider regulatory microscope. A wide swath of auditing activity has ramped up in the hospice space as regulators seek to improve program integrity and quality oversight. More than half of hospice providers reported having multiple types […]
Lawmakers have put forth bills in both the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives to foster greater utilization of advance care planning. The Compassionate Care Act would establish a nationwide public education campaign to educate the people in the United States about the importance of advance care planning, including grants and pilot initiatives to […]
Regulators are sharpening their focus on several aspects of hospice quality data to help weed out fraud, waste and abuse. Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) requirements have seen an overhaul in recent years as the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) works to curb malfeasance in the industry. Program integrity concerns have been […]
The Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act, if enacted, would make changes to the ways hospices provide respite care. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) is in the process of drafting the bill that would represent the most significant reforms to date for hospice payment and oversight. The legislation is currently in a discussion […]
