Aging LGBTQ+ populations have few options for quality end-of-life care – particularly those in rural areas – and hospices are ramping up efforts to reach them. Access to hospice can be challenging for many seniors in remote or rural regions. Terminally ill seniors in these locales often experience higher levels of loneliness and isolation at […]
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
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 […]
Four members of Congress led by Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) have called for changes to the forthcoming Special Focus Program (SFP) from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) were also signatories on the letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and […]
Dr. John Mulder, chief consultant for hospice and palliative care medicine for Michigan’s Faith Hospice, was drawn to the field after witnessing his father’s difficult end-of-life experience. Having begun his practice 40 years ago in family medicine, he came to hospice in 1983 when he was asked to serve on the board of a local […]
Hospice will continue to be in a state of flux this year and next, with a heavy focus on regulation and supporting and growing the workforce, according to Ben Marcantonio, COO and interim CEO for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). The coming year may also be a time of significant change for […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been gradually implementing changes to the hospice survey process and enforcement remedies, including civil monetary penalties in some instances. Congress approved the survey changes and enforcement actions through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which incorporated language from the Helping Our Senior Population in Comfort […]
While the hospice community has generally embraced the concept of a Special Focus Program (SFP) to address quality concerns, some are troubled by the government’ methodology for identifying providers. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to launch the program in 2024, according to language included in the agency’s proposed home health […]
The four largest hospice industry organizations have been working to present a united front to address widespread program integrity issues. As those problems proliferate, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC), LeadingAge and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) have been speaking […]
Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) represent a growing opportunity for palliative care companies, and providers have a number of ways to get in on the ground floor. Along with Medicare Advantage, ACOs are one of the few avenues towards more robust reimbursement than fee-for-service models. Operators can come to ACOs by two main avenues. For one, […]
For the time being, Medicare Advantage may be providers’ best bet for palliative care reimbursement. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also allows Medicare Advantage plans to cover palliative care as a supplemental benefit. In addition, the agency has integrated palliative care components into the Value-Based Insurance Design Model (VBID), often called […]