Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) have reintroduced the Palliative Care and Hospice Education Training Act (PCHETA), designed to bolster the field’s shrinking workforce with federal support. If enacted, PCHETA would support hospice and palliative care training programs for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and chaplains. The bill would also expand continuing […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed a 2.7% pay increase for hospice care for Fiscal Year 2023. However, that amount may be a drop in the bucket as COVID-19 headwinds rage, inflation surges and employee wages climb. Beyond the rising costs, Medicare is phasing in the return of payment sequestration, […]
Some hospice providers are willing to take on additional regulatory pressure if it successfully roots out “bad actors” in the space, Sarah McSpadden, president and CEO of The Elizabeth Hospice, told Hospice News. Regulatory scrutiny is on the rise for hospices nationwide, but is gaining particular traction in California. For example, a recent report from […]
The State of New York’s recently approved budget for Fiscal Year 2023 required that home care and hospice aides be paid at least $2 more than the state’s $15 standard minimum wage. While these workers are among the lowest paid in health care, this could put providers in a bind without corresponding increases to reimbursement. […]
The diversity, equity and inclusion components of Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health (ACO REACH) program show promise for expanding access to care. But it means participating hospices will need to devote scarce resources to meet program requirements. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation’s (CMMI) last year announced a “strategy refresh” […]
The United States lacks a robust reimbursement system for palliative care. While stakeholders work toward change, providers are developing innovative ways to work with what they have to bring this care to patients in need. Historically, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has reimbursed palliative care through a fee-for-service model that only […]
The Medicare Advantage hospice carve-in has been the focus of much attention among providers, and many are watching closely for the demonstration’s outcomes. But for the past four years, a lesser-known payment model demo, the Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM), has been hitting every target — reducing costs, improving quality and family satisfaction, and keeping […]
Race and socioeconomic status continue to deepen disparities in access to end-of-life care across the country. Recent research from Rutgers University-New Brunswick in New Jersey has revealed gaps in hospice referrals and palliative care consultations among underserved patient populations in the state. African-American and Hispanic patients had “significantly lower odds” of receiving a hospice referral […]
Florida-based St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care recently opened a new inpatient hospice care center inside the Melbourne Regional Medical Center. A swelling demand for hospice in the community spurred the unit’s development. The new 10-bed inpatient unit is located on the second floor of the medical facility and features a home-like environment for patients and […]
Illinois-based Lincolnland Hospice of Sarah Bush Lincoln recently received approval from local legislators to renovate a location on a local hospital campus to include an inpatient hospice house. Expected to open early in 2023, construction will begin this spring. The Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center Hospice House will feature eight private patient suites, family quiet […]
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