The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has delayed the implementation of hospice certifying physician Medicare enrollment requirements. CMS delayed the date to enroll in or opt out of Medicare until June 3 for physicians who certify hospice services. Stipulated in the 2024 hospice payment rule and part of the Affordable Care Act, […]
Calls are growing louder in support of increased accreditation organization oversight that could help curb fraudulent activity in the hospice space. In a proposed rule released in February the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced a number of provisions aimed at addressing conflicts of interest and establishing more consistent standards, processes and […]
Collaborations with participants in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation’s (CMMI) Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Primary Care Flex demo could allow hospices to leverage their skill sets to access more patients. Hospices and palliative care providers can come to ACOs by two main avenues. They can become members of those organizations themselves, or they […]
The 2025 proposed hospice rule is raising some questions along with payment rates. In a proposed rule released yesterday, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a 2.6% increase in hospice per diems for 2025. The agency also proposed two new quality measures and 2025 implementation of the Hospice Outcome and Patient […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its 2025 proposed rule for hospice payment, which if finalized would include a 2.6% increase in the per diem base rate. The proposal is a likely signal that CMS will not adopt a recent recommendation by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to freeze […]
Members of Congress are raising questions about the continued Medicare certification for new hospices in areas rife with fraud. U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra fielded questions in a House Ways & Means committee hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) and Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) fired questions […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) has unveiled a new primary care-oriented Accountable Care Organization (ACO) payment model that holds opportunities for hospices. This demonstration reflects a push by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reduce fragmentation in the health care system by strengthening primary care as a hub […]
In case you missed it, Hospice News has launched a new specialty publication for palliative care professionals. You can subscribe to Palliative Care News here: Subscribe today! Ensuring staff are educated around revisions to hospice survey processes will be key to navigating ongoing regulatory changes in the industry. Revisions to hospice surveys have been in the pipeline […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will end the hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID) as of Dec. 31. Often called the “hospice carve-in,” the program was designed to test coverage of hospice care through Medicare Advantage, in addition to some coverage of palliative care and transitional care. The hospice […]
A main barrier to palliative care growth in the Medicare Advantage hospice carve-in is a lack of understanding of these services among beneficiaries, as well as inconsistent service delivery. The value-based insurance design (VBID) model is among the payment avenues that allows Medicare Advantage plans to cover palliative care as a supplemental benefit. When the […]
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