Palliative Care a ‘Natural Fit’ for Home Health Agencies

Though relatively few home health agencies provide palliative care, those providers and their patients can benefit from more integration of those services. Currently, the palliative care space is dominated by hospices and health systems. Only 7% of community-based palliative care programs are operated by home health organizations, compared to about 50% for hospices, according to […]

Global Partners in Care Program Fosters International Collaboration on Palliative Care

The Indiana-based palliative care provider Center for Hospice Care (CHC) is looking beyond its immediate community and has developed networks that impact palliative care on a global scale. The organization’s program, Global Partners in Care, collaborates with more than 100 hospice and palliative care organizations around the world to improve access to those services among […]

Hospice Industry Groups: CMS Must Retool Proposed Special Focus Program to Ensure Accuracy, Fairness

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed 2024 home health rule includes plans to implement a hospice Special Focus Program, but some stakeholders contend that some aspects are flawed. Three of the largest hospice, home health and senior services advocacy groups submitted comments to CMS on the proposed rule — LeadingAge, the […]

NHPCO Voices Support for CMS’ 36-Month Rule, Program Integrity Actions

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is on the right track with several new rules designed to improve hospice program integrity, but some could use some fine-tuning, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). The hospice advocacy group today issued public comments on CMS’s proposed home health rule for […]

Hospice Worker, Patient Safety Concerns Impact Access in Underserved Communities

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 […]

Hospice Advocacy Groups Call on CMS to Delay, Revise Special Focus Program

A coalition of industry groups has spoken out about the design of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) forthcoming Special Focus Program (SFP) for hospices. CMS initially pitched the idea in 2022 but instead convened a Technical Expert Panel (TEP) to further guide development. The TEP completed its work late last year, […]

How Former President Carter Helped Shape Hospice Care

As Jimmy Carter marks his sixth month in hospice care, the provider community is raising awareness by saluting the former president. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) convened a group of hospice leaders at Times Square in New York City to commemorate Carter’s hospice experience. Some hospice executives have said they believe that […]

Hospice Industry Groups: CMS Must Reform Auditing Processes

Flaws exist in the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) auditing processes, a coalition of industry organizations indicated in a letter to the agency. The organizations pointed to “fundamental, long-standing” problems pertaining to the audit focus areas, overpayment recovery and adjudication processes, as well as auditor consistency and education. The organizations included LeadingAge, […]

NAHC, NHPCO Inch Closer to Possible Combination

Two of the largest advocacy groups for the home health and hospice industries are one step closer to joining forces. In a joint announcement on Thursday, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) revealed that their respective boards have signed a non-binding letter of […]