A growing number of patients with various dementia-related conditions will need end-of-life care in coming years. Hospices preparing for rising demand are facing compliance challenges, as these patients often require longer hospice stays. Patients with Alzheimer’s and other neurological degenerative disorders have health trajectories that are difficult to project, especially as they approach the end […]
Medication costs are among hospice providers’ biggest expenses, and some are asking policymakers to take action on prices. High prices on drugs, as well as shortages, are problems that permeate the entire health care system. While recent industry-wide data are scarce on drug costs for hospice patients, providers often identify these as their second-highest expense, […]
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is prioritizing hospice as the agency cracks down on health care fraud. Increased reimbursement oversight could be on the horizon, lending to a potential rise in whistleblower cases. DOJ counts hospice claims among the root causes of rising Medicare costs in recent years, according to Lisa Miller, deputy assistant […]
Increasingly, both policymakers and providers are seeing potential opportunities to reform the Medicare Hospice Benefit, including the prospect of concurrent care. Driving these conversations is the need to lighten the nation’s heavy health care spend, which in 2021 reached $4.3 trillion, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Questions are also […]
Hospice leaders and lawmakers are meeting on Capitol Hill today to address the pressing issue of program integrity, among other policy priorities. Driving these conversations are the multiple reports of unethical or illegal practices among hundreds of newly licensed hospices, particularly among new companies popping up in California, Texas, Nevada and Arizona. Thus far, California […]
Patient data collection is critical in how the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is developing health equity quality measures for hospices in value-based payment. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) in 2022 announced a “strategy refresh” that included a renewed focus on health care equity in payment model design. Among […]
Hospice providers can face legal repercussions if they don’t strike the right balance in their payroll practices. Miscalculated compensation or miscommunicated policies are among the most common reasons that hospices are facing legal concerns related to staff compensation, according to Russell Bruch, partner at Morgan Lewis. Bruch assists employers with legal wage and salary matters […]
Although the agency is waiting to formalize the official paperwork, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will no longer enforce the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for hospice staff and other health care workers. The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) ended on May 11. The Biden administration earlier this month announced that it would […]
Citing inflation and other headwinds, hospice providers and industry organizations are urging the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reconsider the proposed 2.8% base rate increase for 2024. This is the first of a series of Hospice News articles that will cover the industry’s response to the proposed rule. CMS published the […]
The roles of hospice volunteers have morphed during the pandemic in ways that could have lasting impacts on how providers mold care delivery models – including increasing clinical capacity. Volunteer recruitment and retention has been a challenge during the pandemic, with hospices pivoting around shifting regulations and safety protocols. The reduced capacity has some hospice […]
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