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 […]
Hospice and palliative care services can result in better outcomes and reduced costs, recent research has found. A recent study by Empassion Health examined 45,957 seriously ill patients receiving supportive care through the organization from January 2023 to April 2025. The study found a 35% reduction in total cost of care per patient during the […]
Recent government pullbacks on diversity, equity and inclusion stand to exacerbate health disparities among underserved patient populations during a time of rising demand for end-of-life care, according to hospice executives. The White House thus far this year issued several executive orders that have ramped up the nation’s immigration enforcement policies while also aiming to reduce […]
Underserved patient populations are facing a growing deficit when it comes to accessing quality, inclusive hospice care at the end of life. Hospice care models have increasingly diversified to reach a broader range of patients with different beliefs, values and spiritual outlooks, but some providers see a long road ahead in the journey toward equitable […]
Calls have grown louder for an overhauled design of the Medicare Hospice Benefit, but the path towards change is riddled with contrasting views over regulation, policy and payment structures. Hospice providers are hitting financial and regulatory walls when it comes to sufficiently covering the spectrum of services necessary to care for patients and families, according […]
Providers and payers alike are strategizing ways to tackle current reimbursement challenges and anticipate hospice payment’s future direction. The lines between traditional fee-for-service and value-based payment systems will begin to blur as regulators seek to balance rising demand with the associated costs, according to Burke Wise, cofounder of Empassion Health. Regardless of where value-based payment […]
Over time, Medicare Advantage plans will likely have a greater presence as hospice payers, and now is the time for providers to build relationships those organizations. Originally slated to end in 2024, CMS recently extended the hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID) to 2030. Though the demo’s ultimate outcome remains uncertain, many […]
Employee and patient safety concerns represent a barrier to hospice care among underserved, urban communities, particularly those with higher crime rates. Seniors in high-crime communities are often disproportionately impacted by the hazardous conditions of their neighborhoods, including the seriously and terminally ill. An “unhealthy” neighborhood yields dysfunction, imbalance and uncertainty, which can create barriers to […]
Three principles are guiding the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2024 updates to the Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health (ACO REACH) model: care coordination, managing health equity-related risks and social determinants of health. Among a number of new requirements, the agency will also require participating organizations to develop […]
Both innovative opportunities and cost challenges underly quality and health equity components of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) recently finalized hospice payment rule. The final rule included some key updates — and raised important questions — in the agency’s planned changes to quality measures and data collection, including those related to […]
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