Some hospices across the United States are concerned about the various impacts of a recent government shutdown, including their ability to thrive and sustain operations. Eight Democratic senators on Sunday agreed to advance a bill that would end the shutdown. The bill included agreements to proceed without a guaranteed extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) […]
Two groups of perpetrators are facing justice after allegedly committing hospice fraud. The California Attorney General’s office has secured the sentencing of two alleged conspirators, Ralph and Rochell Canales, a married couple. Ralph Caneles received a sentence of seven years and four months in prison and payment of nearly $1.5 million in restitution. Rochell Canales […]
Hospices are in a season of change upon the implementation of the 2026 finalized payment rule and a new quality reporting system, the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool. Both implemented on Oct. 1, the final rule and HOPE tool have hospices facing a tough learning curve, said Katy Barnett, director of home care […]
Home-based care providers, including hospices, must advocate for themselves and their patients with state and federal government agencies and legislators, according to Dr. Steve Landers, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Care at Home. Landers made these remarks at the Alliance’s inaugural Annual Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans. The event marks the […]
The recent sunset of telehealth flexibilities implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic has hospices concerned about health equity and patients’ access to care, particularly in rural areas. Regulatory waivers that the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued during the public health emergency expired on Sept. 30. Among the waivers was the ability to […]
A hospice marketer was recently ordered to serve 12 months of home detention and pay $100,000 in fines for their alleged role in a kickback fraud scheme in California. Callie Jean Black, 66, recently faced sentencing in the U.S. District Court of Central California for allegedly recruiting patients for hospice companies in exchange for illegal […]
A hospice operator in California has recently been sentenced to serve four years and nine months in prison for their involvement in a nearly $16 million fraud and money laundering scheme. Karpis Srapyan, 35, along with Petros Fichidzhyan and Juan Carlos Esparza, allegedly operated four sham hospice companies, which were allegedly owned by “foreign nationals,” […]
Two Iowa hospice providers are embroiled in a lawsuit over allegations that one was “poaching patients.” National Hospice Management (NHP) operates hospices under a number of brands across several states, including Beacon of Hope Hospice. The company is suing Moments Hospice of Davenport in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. The […]
The regulatory flexibilities related to telehealth that the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic have expired. This includes the ability of hospices to perform patient re-certification face-to-face encounters via telehealth. Also expiring are waivers that expanded the scope of practitioners eligible to provide telehealth services, as well as […]
The State of Texas did not calculate or recoup overpayments from hospices that exceeded the Medicaid payment cap, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG). OIG conducted an audit of $166.7 million in payments that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) made to hospices […]
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