Patients See Demographic Barriers to Advance Care Planning

Racial, ethnic and sociodemographic divides are the leading barriers impacting advance care planning utilizations in the United States. Hospice providers working to expand access will need to take a closer look at the unique forces driving disparities, particularly among people of color. Studies have shown that advance care planning can reduce hospitalizations and health care […]

Assisted Living Primed for Hospice Growth in 2021

Assisted living facilities continue to represent one of the largest growth opportunities for hospices in the coming year, according to industry leaders who responded to the Hospice News 2021 Outlook Survey. The prospect of growth in assisted living remains promising despite challenges accessing patients in many locations due to restrictions brought on by the coronavirus […]

HHS Releases New PRF Funding Requirements, Delays First Reporting Deadline

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) released new reporting requirements and guidance for the billions of dollars distributed to health care providers battling the pandemic. Hospice providers and advocates are calling for clarification around allowable expenses as the first reporting deadline looms in the horizon. Wading through these murky waters will take […]

Hope Healthcare CEO Samira Beckwith: Hospice Can Shape the Future of Health Care

The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) has named its new board chair: Samira Beckwith, president and CEO of Florida-based hospice provider Hope Healthcare. As Beckwith told Hospice News, value-based payment models will be a primary focus in 2021 and beyond as the future of end-of-life and serious illness care evolves and a […]

COVID-19 Complicating Hospices’ Move Towards Value-Based Care

As hospices contend with the persisting outbreak, providers are also taking their early steps into the value-based care environment with COVID-19 often complicating the process. The winds of uncertainty billowing from the coronavirus pandemic continue to have sweeping impacts on health care delivery in the United States. Taking effect Jan. 1, the value-based insurance design […]

Medicare Advantage Hospice Carve-In: The Bright Side

Despite the legitimate anxieties of many hospice providers about the Medicare Advantage carve-in demonstration in 2021, some have expressed cautious optimism. “The success of Medicare Advantage in achieving better health outcomes for American seniors and people with disabilities highlights the importance of an integrated system,” Allyson Schwartz, president and CEO of the Better Medicare Alliance […]

Questions Abound on Medicare Advantage Hospice Carve-In

Hospice providers have many questions and few answers related to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) demonstration of a hospice carve-in for Medicare Advantage plans. CMS earlier this year announced that it would test coverage of the hospice benefit through Medicare Advantage plans beginning in 2021. Through Medicare Advantage, CMS contracts with […]

MEDPAC: For-Profits Account for 100 Percent of New Hospices

For-profit providers are dominating the hospice market. The number of hospice providers in the United States during 2017 rose 2.4 percent, with for-profit providers representing 100 percent of the growth, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) annual report to Congress. That same year, the number of non-profit hospices declined 3.5 percent. Larger numbers […]