Literature Review

MedPAC releases June 2024 report on Medicare and the health care delivery systemMedPac - Medicare Payment Advisory Commision; Press Release; 6/13/24The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) released its June 2024 Report [on June 13, 2024] to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System. Each June, as part of its mandate from the Congress, MedPAC reports on improvements to Medicare payment systems, issues affecting the Medicare program, and changes to health care delivery and the market for health care services. This year’s report covers the following topics:

Bluegrass Care Navigators and Hosparus Health announce landmark affiliation agreement Hosparus Health Press Release; 6/17/24 Today marks a significant milestone as Bluegrass Care Navigators and Hosparus Health announced that their respective boards of directors have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to begin working toward a formal affiliation between the two organizations. The affiliation is rooted in the organizations’ shared mission of providing compassionate, high-quality care to those facing serious illness and end-of-life. It aims to enhance service delivery, improve operational efficiencies, and bolster long-term sustainability — all while preserving the unique identities and local operations of both organizations. David Cook, Hosparus Health President and CEO, said, “This formal affiliation is designed to strengthen and improve resiliency for our organizations. Rest assured, we will continue to honor and maintain the distinct identities and local presence that our communities have come to cherish. This affiliation is a testament to our shared commitment to working together and enhancing care for our communities.” “Both Bluegrass Care Navigators and Hosparus Health share a joint mission: to provide exceptional, compassionate, high-quality care to those facing frailty, serious illness and end-of-life,” added Liz Fowler, President and CEO of Bluegrass Care Navigators. “Our long histories of service, innovation, and excellence make this affiliation a natural and exciting next step.” [Click on the title's link to read more.] 

NIH: Hot weather safety for older adults OSHA: Heat - Working in outdoor and indoor heat environmentsOSHA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration; retrieved from their website 6/18/24 

AAHPM CMO Joe Rotella: Hospice does not exist to save money Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/17/24Dr. Joe Rotella, chief medical officer of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), calls on hospices to maintain their core principles amid a churning sea of regulatory and economic changes. Rotella began his medical career as a primary care physician in a small, rural town in central New Hampshire, where he stayed for 12 years [followed by serving Hospice & Palliative Care of Louisville, KY/Hosparus as Chief Medical director for 15 years]. ... Now, Rotella will soon retire from AAHPM. Hospice News sat down with Rotella to discuss the ways hospice and palliative care have changed during his tenure in the space, as well as the forces shaping the field’s future. ...

Advocates rally in DC for the future of hospice: NHPCO and HAN amplify provider voices on Capitol Hill NHPCO; Press Release; 6/13/24 More than 100 hospice and palliative care advocates from across the country met with over 150 congressional offices this week to discuss key legislative and regulatory priorities for ensuring and expanding access to hospice and palliative care. The meetings were part of Hospice Action Week, hosted in Washington, DC by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and its advocacy affiliate, the Hospice Action Network (HAN). “The cornerstone of effective advocacy is storytelling. It’s about sharing why hospice holds personal significance and why serious illness and end-of-life care policy should resonate with our lawmakers,” said Logan Hoover, NHPCO’s VP of Policy & Government Relations. “From Hawaii to Rhode Island, advocates from 35 diverse states came to DC this year. The relationships they’re building with Members of Congress hold the potential to shape the future of the healthcare landscape.” 

How fraudulent hospices evade regulators Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/5/24A slew of fraudulent hospices in California are dodging consequences by shuffling patients around between provider numbers. That’s according to multiple sources who spoke with Hospice News, expressing their concerns about patterns of fraud continuing even as government regulators crack down on the sector. Since 2021, numerous media and government reports have emerged of unethical or illegal practices among hundreds of newly licensed hospices, particularly among new companies popping up in California, Texas, Nevada and Arizona. Despite the best efforts of regulators and law enforcement, hospice leaders are concerned that many bad actors are slipping through the cracks. ...

Acting now to sustain and improve America’s healthcare system: Advice from innovative physicians and health system leadersSheppardMullin Healthcare Law Blog; by Kathleen O'Neill, John Golembesky, Jeralin Cardoso, Chi Huynh & Carolyn Young; 6/6/24 At [the recent] America’s Physician Groups Spring conference in San Diego, California, we listened as physicians and health system leaders described the ways in which they are responding to short and long term challenges to the sustainability of America’s healthcare system in its current form. It now stands at a critical juncture, facing challenges such as provider shortages and burnout, increasing concerns around access and cost for pharmaceutical products and other supplies, the increasing burden of managing chronic diseases, rising demand for services across the spectrum from an aging population, and balancing the transition to value-based care models in a predominantly fee-for-service environment. ... Here, we outline the key areas of focus described by leaders at the conference: ... 

Mapped: The highs and lows of the world’s happiness landscapeBigThink.com (originally posted in 1440 Daily Digest; by Frank Jacobs; 6/3/24The Gallup World Poll reveals regional peaks and valleys of happiness across all of the continents. At a glance, we see that happiness levels are relatively high across the Americas, in Europe and Oceania, and generally lowest across Africa and South Asia. In North America, Canada (6.9) came out on top, happier than the U.S. and Mexico (both 6.7). The least happy country in North America is the Dominican Republic (5.8) — perhaps unfairly, as its bad-to-worse neighbor Haiti wasn’t surveyed.

Red River Valley expands services for dual-eligible populationsHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/11/24North Dakota-based Hospice of the Red River Valley is focused on expanding its home- and community-based services among dual-eligible Medicare and Medicaid populations in need of greater support. Serious and terminally ill patients in lower socioeconomic and underserved regions face several competing challenges in accessing health care, according to Tracee Capron, executive director at Hospice of the Red River Valley. Developing a sustainable care delivery model that better addresses unmet needs among patients and their families requires significant investment, Capron said. 

Geriatric End-of-Life Screening Tool prediction of 6-month mortality in older patientsJAMA Open Network; by Adrian D. Haimovich, MD, PhD, Ryan C. Burke, PhD, MPH, Larry A. Nathanson, MD, David Rubins, MD, R. Andrew Taylor, MD, MHS, Erin K. Kross, MD, Kei Ouchi, MD, MPH, Nathan I. Shapiro, MD, MPH, Mara A. Schonberg, MD, MPH; 5/31/24In this prognostic study of 82,371 ED encounters within a tertiary care emergency department, the Geriatric End-of-Life Screening Tool (GEST) performed robustly on external validation, identifying 11.6% of the population as having a 30% or greater mortality risk. Compared with serious illness diagnoses, GEST provided a greater net benefit as a screening tool using decision curve analysis. The findings of this prognostic external validation study highlight the opportunity to use pragmatic, prognostic electronic health record algorithms to identify older adults in the emergency department for end-of-life care interventions.Publisher's Note: See related article posted earlier this week from McKnight's Long-Term Care News, Screening tool predicts older adults’ need for end-of-life care intervention.

Pride Month 2024: LGBTQ+ Resources for Hospice & Palliative Care OrganizationsCompiled from various search engines for our newsletter's readers

Rep. Earl Blumenauer plans landmark hospice reform billHospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/13/24Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) is drafting a landmark bill that, if enacted, would represent the most significant reforms to date for hospice payment and oversight. Blumenauer announced the bill, the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act, on Thursday at the Hospice News Elevate conference in Washington D.C. Though the bill language is still in development, key provisions will likely include a new payment mechanism for high-acuity palliative services, changes to the per-diem payment process and actions to improve quality and combat fraud.

Breaking The Silence: Groundbreaking Guide on Tackling Domestic Violence and Elder Abuse Released by NPHI and NO MORENPHI press release; 6/13/24New Guide Equips Caregivers with Life-Saving Information to Spot Abuse and Empowers Them to Protect Elders. In advance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) [on June 15, 2024], the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) and NO MORE are proud to announce the release of a new educational resource titled Breaking the Silence, a comprehensive guide that takes a significant step towards tackling domestic violence, elder abuse, and neglect among more vulnerable populations. The guide provides insights into the prevalence and various forms of abuse. It offers steps for identifying signs of abuse, supports healthcare providers in screening and responding to suspected abuse, and includes information on available resources for victims, caregivers, and families. Some of the key takeaways from the guide include: