The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is giving hospices a 3.1% increase to their per diem payments for 2024, according to a final rule published Friday. That will translate to a $780 million bump to hospice payments next year compared to Fiscal Year 2023, according to CMS. The finalized rule also raises […]
Caring Brands International
A restructuring of the Medicare Hospice Benefit could have impacts on merger and acquisition activity in the industry. Calls for changes to hospice eligibility and length of stay are growing louder among industry stakeholders. A main concern being voiced to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is that the current six-month prognosis […]
Paul Mastrapa becomes CEO of Interim HealthCare Jennifer Sheets is out as CEO of Interim HealthCare and Caring Brands International. Paul Mastrapa, former CEO of Help at Home, will succeed her. The Florida-based company is a home-based care franchise that provides home health care, hospice care, palliative care, pediatric care and personal care to about […]
When Interim HealthCare and Caring Brands International CEO Jennifer Sheets speaks about hospice length of stay, it “strikes a nerve.” A disconnect exists between the ways providers perceive hospice lengths of stay and the views of regulators. Generally, providers point out the research showing that stays of six months or longer correlate with improved patient […]
With 15 de novos under its belt thus far in 2022, Caring Brands International (CBI) subsidiary Interim HealthCare Inc. has plans to open two more in undisclosed locations before the year wraps. Florida-based Interim Health has a current footprint that spans across 42 states nationwide. The company provides care to roughly 173,000 patients annually. Its […]
With hospice providers reporting fewer staff in quarantine, many hope to reduce their utilization of temp nursing services — as well as the higher labor costs that come with them. But the reality won’t be that simple. Indicators suggest that demand for temp nurses is dipping slightly, and rates may be starting to fall. However, […]
Terminally ill patients suffering from dementia are more likely to receive life-sustaining treatments when children versus spouses were involved as decision-makers, according to recent research. The difference in end-of-life treatment choices suggests that more work needs to be done to ensure that surrogate decision makers and care teams are aware of patient preferences as early […]
Hospice providers, like much of the health care community, have turned to contract staffing services to supplement their workforce during the pandemic. Hospices have stated intentions to reduce that trend as infection rates fall, but evidence suggests that contract labor utilization is unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels. Hospices may continue to find themselves competing […]
Hospice agencies have been in high demand in the health care mergers-and-acquisition market in recent years, particularly among private equity firms. As that trend continues, some hospices themselves are considering their own investments in businesses that can bolster their current services and bottom lines, including private-duty and non-medical home care care. A few factors are […]
Caring Brands International (CBI) subsidiary Interim HealthCare recently bought back Interim HealthCare of Sacramento Hospice in California in its third acquisition this year. The purchase of the in-home hospice provider from its owner was driven by rising demand for care in this setting, according to Interim Healthcare and CBI President and CEO Jennifer Sheets. The […]