3 Nonprofit Hospice Providers to Watch in 2023

Though nonprofit hospices now represent a smaller slice of the industry than in years past, they continue to care for more than half of patients in the United States who elect the benefit. The number of hospices operating nationwide rose to 5,358 in 2021, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). This is a […]

Capital Caring-Chapters Affiliation Closes as Organization Begins ‘New Advanced Illness Care Era’

Capital Caring Health and Chapters Health System have officially joined forces as their affiliation plans solidify. The two nonprofit hospice and palliative care providers recently closed on an affiliation they announced at the end of last year. Capital Caring and Chapters Health will each retain their individual branding post-transaction. The affiliation will mean that more […]

Hope Healthcare Affiliates with Chapters Health System

Florida-based Hope Healthcare has affiliated with Chapters Health System, a nonprofit provider of hospice, palliative care and home health, among other services. Combined with its affiliates, Chapters Health is the largest nonprofit hospice provider in the nation and the sixth overall. Its staff of 3,330 and more than 2,430 volunteers care for more than 72,000 […]

Key Trends That Will Shape the Hospice Industry in 2023

Most hospices are sliding into 2023 between a rock and a hard place, beset by headwinds, labor shortages and questions with no easy answers. Through the cracks, providers can see glimmers of improvement. A number of hospice leaders anticipate that the industry will settle into a “new normal,” having absorbed the shock of the pandemic […]

The Devil in Details of Hospice Strategic Collaboratives

Nonprofit hospices are increasingly banding together in varying types of collaboratives to create workforce, operational and cost-effective synergies. As this trend picks up steam, hospices will need to fine-tune the details of these affiliations and choose partners carefully. Collaborations allow hospices to share best practices, quality initiatives, staff education and volunteer resources, as well as […]

Hospices Expect ‘Seamless’ Transition from Direct Contracting to ACO REACH

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) direct contracting model demonstration is transforming, the agency announced last week. In the intervening days, the hospice providers who had prepared to participate in those programs have sought answers as to where they fit in this new direction. CMS is replacing the Global and Professional Direct […]

Yolo Affiliates with California Hospice Network

Davis, Calif.-based Yolo Hospice has become the newest affiliate of the California Hospice Network (CHN). The network is a coalition of nonprofit hospices designed to support the growth of community-based hospice care and leverage their collective scale and resources in value-based payment programs. Though each California Hospice Network member remains a distinct, independent organization, the […]

Colorado Care Synergy Collaborative Part of a Growing Trend in Hospice

A group of nonprofit hospice, home health, and palliative care providers have formed a collaborative network to support, sustain and grow their services across Colorado. Collaborations such as these have been vital for many smaller hospices to remain competitive with larger players in the space and to maintain eligibility for value-based payment programs such as […]

Five Wisconsin Hospices Form Collaborative to Bolster Payer Relationships

Five Wisconsin hospice and palliative care providers have formalized a partnership to maximize their scale and negotiating power with payers in value-based payment models. The current focus of the new organization, called the Wisconsin Hospice & Palliative Care Collaborative (WHPCC), is reimbursement contracts for palliative care, using the term supportive care management.  WHPCC has incorporated […]

Hospices See Big Opportunities in Direct Contracting, But Care Must Move Upstream

When the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2019 announced its Primary Care First Serious Illness Population model, many hospices saw the program as their greatest opportunity for successful participation in the agency’s alternative payment structures. While interest in the program remains high, many providers are shifting their gaze towards the direct […]