How Medicaid Boosted Palliative Care Utilization

More cancer patients have been receiving palliative care since the Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid. About 18.9% of eligible patients received palliative care in states that expanded Medicaid, up from 17% before the ACA provisions took effect on Jan. 1, 2014, according to American Cancer Society research recently published in Health Affairs. Among non-expansion states, […]

Health Systems Adapt to Changing Environment by Expanding Hospice, Home-Based Care

Home-based care, including hospice, is an increasingly attractive space for health systems and hospitals — a trend that accelerated during the pandemic. Health systems are bringing care to the home by a number of routes. Some have launched their own completely new programs or re-organized an existing suite of services, whereas others have pursued acquisitions […]

Survey: 72% Say U.S. Health System Does Poor Job of Caring for Seniors

About 72% of respondents to a National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) survey said they do not believe that the U.S. health care system does a good job of caring for the aging population. NPHI conducted the survey in September in collaboration with Emergence Creative and the consulting firm SIR. The research follows […]

Housing Insecurity a Threat to Seniors, Poses a Risk for Hospice Providers

Dying in America is expensive, putting some patients at risk of losing their homes. The issue of unstable housing has a direct impact on patients’ health care choices and outcomes, including ​​a higher incidence of aggressive treatments in their final days. The depletion of a family’s financial resources is a greater predictor of aggressive treatment […]

Supreme Court May Be Leaning Toward Upholding CMS Vaccine Mandate

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday heard oral arguments in lawsuits seeking to block two federal regulations that would require vaccination for COVID-19 among health care and other workers. Thus far, no decision has been announced on either of the rules issued by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) or the U.S. […]

Hospices Learning to Navigate Referral Partner, Facility Vaccine Policies

The pandemic continues to ruffle feathers for hospices nationwide, most recently due to uncertainties about the future of federal vaccine mandates recently halted by the courts. Regardless of how the scales tip on those emergency regulations, hospices remain troubled about ensuring their access to patients, according to legal advisors in the health care sector. Hospices […]

Lawmakers Call on Congress to Advance Hospice, Palliative Workforce Bill

Lawmakers and advocates are calling on legislators to move forward on legislation that would expand opportunities for interdisciplinary education and training in hospice and palliative care specialties. The call comes at a time when a growing aging population is straining providers’ ability to meet demand, even as the pandemic worsens turnover and complicates requirement and […]

Hospice Buffalo: Staff and Patient Safety Takes Priority in Vaccine Mandates

Internal and government vaccine requirements have hospices walking a fine line between the need to protect staff, patients and their families while also considering employees’ personal choices and medical or religious exemptions. Hospice leaders have shown concern that vaccine mandates could exacerbate long standing industry-wide staffing shortages, which have worsened during the pandemic. Hospice & […]

Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo Mandates Staff Vaccinations

New York state-based Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo is requiring all staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in a two-phase approach. Vaccinations will be mandatory with the exception of staff members who have approved medical or religious exemptions. More than 80% of the organization’s staff have been vaccinated thus far. Prior to the mandate, the […]

Amedisys Triples Hospice, Home Health Growth With More M&A on the Horizon

Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) is seeing its hospice and home health growth rates tripling based on rising patient census and a robust acquisitions pipeline. Hospice remains at the core of the company’s M&A strategy; Amedisys expects to see activity pick up in the home health sector as well this year. Baton Rouge, La.-based Amedisys last […]