The crux of a lawsuit filed by hospice organizations against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Thursday is the criteria that the agency uses to select hospices for the new Special Focus Program (SFP). A group of providers and state associations are plaintiffs in the suit, including Texas Association for Home […]
A group of hospice providers and state associations have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over the implementation of the Special Focus Program (SFP). The organizations filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Texas-Houston Division. The plaintiffs include: Texas Association for Home […]
Economic and financial headwinds have increasingly posed significant challenges for rural-based hospice providers, with some shuttering their programs in recent years. The trend has limited access to hospice services among an already underserved population while also raising concerns around quality and trust in equitable care delivery, according to a recent study. The ability for providers […]
Hospice leaders will need to keep their eyes on five key trends in the new year when it comes to compliance, business operations and finance. Coupled with these trends is rising utilization. Hospice utilization reached 51.7% among Medicare decedents in 2023, up more than two percentage points from the prior year, according to recent data […]
Last night, a farmer died in Georgia, leaving a legacy as long as a comet’s tail. James Earl Carter Jr., 100-years-old, passed away Sunday evening in his home where he had been receiving hospice care. Carter, a Democrat, served as the 39th president of the United States between 1977 and 1981. Previously, he was governor […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made public its first cohort for the hospice Special Focus Program (SFP). Finalized in the 2024 home health payment rule, the program is designed to identify poor performing hospices, mandate quality improvement and in some cases impose additional penalties. However, stakeholders in the hospice space […]
Congress has extended the pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities through March 31, 2025. Early Saturday, legislators approved a continuing resolution to fund the government and avoid a shutdown. The bill contained language to extend the flexibilities, which includes the ability to perform face-to-face recertifications via telehealth. They were originally slated to expire on Dec. 31. The extension […]
Several executives are stepping into new roles at hospice organizations across the country as the new year draws near. National Alliance for Care at Home Announces New COO National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) recently announced Sherl Brand as its new COO, who will ascend into the role in January. Brand was previously […]
Some of the temporary telehealth flexibilities implemented during the pandemic will soon expire while others have been recently extended. These evolving regulations have hospices concerned that a lack of virtual access to their services could have significant impacts on quality and health disparities. Temporary telehealth flexibilities granted during the pandemic have opened up discussions around […]
Regulators recently extended certain temporary telemedicine waivers granted during the pandemic, with some flexibilities now sunsetting in 2025 rather than the end of this year. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have announced the extension of telemedicine flexibilities for the prescribing of controlled medications until […]
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