Literature Review

Owner of home health care company convicted of multimillion dollar health care fraud schemeDOJ press release; 7/22/24[Boston] Faith Newton, 56, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of health care fraud, and three counts of money laundering. The jury found the defendant not guilty on one count of money laundering conspiracy... “Newton orchestrated a massive $100 million health care fraud scheme that targeted the Medicaid program, funding her lavish lifestyle at the expense of the American taxpayers,” said Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Today’s guilty verdict underscores the commitment of HHS-OIG and our partners to protecting the integrity of our federal health care system, and it should also serve as a stern warning to criminals who contemplate engaging in similar illegal schemes.”

A blood test accurately diagnosed Alzheimer’s 90% of the time, study finds The New York Times; by Pam Belluck; 7/28/24 The New York Times says researchers “reported that a blood test was significantly more accurate than doctors’ interpretation of cognitive tests and CT scans in signaling” Alzheimer’s disease. The study “found that about 90% of the time the blood test correctly identified whether patients with memory problems had Alzheimer’s,” while “dementia specialists using standard methods that did not include expensive PET scans or invasive spinal taps were accurate 73% of the time” and “primary care doctors using those methods got it right only 61% of the time.” The findings were published in JAMA and presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

The bereavement care crisis in hospice facilities MedCity News; by Cara McCarty Abbott; 7/28/24 Bereavement care is an essential part of the hospice experience, designed to support those coping with loss. Bereavement care is not just a compassionate gesture; it is a critical component of the hospice care continuum. So why is it so underserved in the U.S.? ... Instead of pushing harder on hospice providers to find more ways to deliver comprehensive bereavement care with less, it's key to address the systemic forces hampering their ability to deliver quality care at the scale required and address these challenges. Editor's Note: Additionally, does your hospice still rely on the misnamed, overused "5 Stages of Grief"? These were determined from 1960's persons who were dying, not from bereaved persons who live on--surviving--the death. Extensive fresh, contemporary, hospice-designed grief resources to support bereavement counselors and the persons they serve are provided by Composing Life Out of Loss, a sponsor for our newsletter.

Advance care questions to ask your loved one Parkview Health; 7/27/24 ... To ease into a conversation about decisions and scenarios, we can start with questions that are easier to answer, like: What does a good day look like? If you got to spend the day with your favorite people doing your favorite things, what would you be doing? With whom? ... From there, we can talk about more specifics related to healthcare decisions, such as: If your heart and breathing stop suddenly, would you want to have CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), which can include pushing on your chest, breathing support, medications, and electrical shocks? ... If you knew that death was likely to happen in a brief period of time, would you want to be in the hospital, in a nursing care facility or at home? ... Editor's Note: The wording, sequencing, and open-ended format of these questions gently open the door for the person to reflect on and describe one's wishes, in contrast to some advance care planning questions that focus on filling out a form. Yes, Advance Directives forms are crucial. However, the forms are a tool for now and for needs ahead. The focus is the person, while building a context of relationship and trust.

Guest column: Private equity poses threat to home health care The Gardner News; by Jane Pike-Benton. Worcester Telegram & Gazette; 7/21/24 Health care observers across the commonwealth are focusing their attention on a bankruptcy court in Houston to learn the fate of eight Massachusetts hospitals being sold at auction by Steward Health Care. Steward’s financial collapse has unsurprisingly brought scrutiny on private equity in care delivery to a crescendo. ...  Nationally, the number of hospice agencies owned by private equity nearly quadrupled from 2011 to 2019. Seventy-two percent of those acquired hospices were previously nonprofits. As policymakers work to stabilize a health care capacity crisis pushed to the brink by Steward, they cannot afford to lose sight of home health and hospice providers in the shuffle. Organizations like ours, many of which were founded with nonprofit missions well over a century ago, are essential to hospitals desperately looking to discharge patients.

More people are dying at home. Is that a good thing? The Wall Street Journal; by Suniat Puri; 7/11/24 New research classifies the rise in home deaths as progress, but we need to look closely at what these death look like. In photos taken a year before we met, my patient smiled widely, flashing a peace sign, her feet planted in the damp sand of a local beach. “Mom was a firecracker,” her daughter told me. My patient, who now slurred her sentences, was dying of cirrhosis. Her jaundiced skin was golden, the corners of her pale lips crusted with dried blood. She wanted to die at home, according to her daughter, who had been estranged but re-entered her mother’s life to care for her. I was still in my training in palliative medicine and, like my patient’s daughter, I believed that a “good death” took place at home, surrounded by family. I shared her view that a hospital death was a failure, painful and undignified. I was glad to help her leave behind uncomfortable tubes and noisy machines for a death I presumed would be more peaceful. [Subscription may be required to continue reading.]

Fewer deaths after serious illness in veterans treated with PARC Care Model U.S. Medicine; by LaTina Emerson; 7/11/24 After a serious illness, veterans who received medical care via the Post-Acute Recovery Center (PARC) model experienced fewer deaths and more days outside of the hospital compared to those not treated with PARC, according to a recent study. ...  Using telehealth, PARC is administered by nurse practitioners to address the complex needs of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors as they transition from hospital to home and improve access to post-ICU care for high-risk veterans, ... Each year, “more than 100,000 veterans transition from ICUs to their home after treatment for life-threatening illnesses, but this transition presents many challenges, including unresolved acute medical issues and the lingering effects of acute organ dysfunction,” according to the study authors. ... 

Primary, palliative provider HarmonyCares gains $200M investment Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/9/24 The home-based care provider HarmonyCares, a leading provider of value-based in-home has secured $200 million in a new funding round. HarmonyCares offers palliative care, home-based primary care, home health, hospice, radiology and other services to more than 70,000 patients in 15 states through value-based partnerships with Medicare Advantage plans and Accountable Care Organizations. ... The company plans to use the infusion of capital to expand to new geographies and develop new technologies designed to improve clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction, according to a statement. The funding round was led by General Catalyst, McKesson Ventures and an unnamed large national payer. Other participants included K2 HealthVentures, Rubicon Founders, Valtruis, HLM Capital and Oak HC/FT.

Judge Realty partners with Hospice Savannah to offer home modification to support aging in placeSavannah Business Journal Staff Report; 7/8/24Judge Realty recently announced a partnership with Hospice Savannah to encourage and support aging in place. Judge Property Management, a division of Judge Realty, is working in conjunction with Hospice Savannah’s CAPABLE+ program to help older adults live independently with strategic support in the privacy of their home environment. ... Hospice Savannah’s CAPABLE program provides a support team, including a Registered Nurse, an Occupational Therapist and a Handyworker who offer home visits and provide limited care for older adults, which can decrease hospitalization and reduce healthcare costs. The standard CAPABLE program is available as a free service for low-income adults age 62 or older in Chatham, Bryan Effingham or Liberty County who are cognitively intact, but experiencing some difficulty bathing, dressing, grooming, eating or walking.

All the payment factors included in the 2025 Home Health Proposed Rule Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 7/8/24 Providers examining the 2025 home health proposed payment rule may be experiencing some déjà vu, according to William A. Dombi, the president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice’s (NAHC). “Much of what we see in the rule is just, on the payment side of it in particular, an update from ‘23 and ‘24,” he said during a recent webinar hosted by NAHC. On June 26, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled its home health proposed payment rule for 2025. The proposal includes a payment decrease in the aggregate by 1.7%, or by about $280 million. “That needs qualification,” Dombi said. “That’s $280 million, not to what it would otherwise have been, but rather, in contrast to what it’s expected to be for 2024.” Providers examining the proposed rule will also see a 2.5% net inflation rate update. ... 

Home health providers to pay $4.5M to resolve alleged false claims act liability for providing kickbacks to assisted living facilities and doctorsDOJ press release; 7/1/24Guardian Health Care Inc., Gem City Home Care LLC and Care Connection of Cincinnati LLC, home health agencies operating in Texas, Ohio and Indiana, along with their owner Evolution Health LLC, have agreed to pay $4,496,330 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly providing illegal kickbacks to assisted living facilities and physicians in exchange for Medicare referrals.

DME Service Solutions joins the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) OpenPR - Worldwide Public Relations; Press release from DEM Service Solutions; 7/4/24DME Service Solutions, a provider of B2B outsourcing solutions specializing in healthcare, is pleased to announce its partnership with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC). This partnership allows DME Service Solutions to engage with a community dedicated to advancing quality care and operational efficiency in the home care and hospice industry. NAHC represents the home care and hospice community, advocating for accessible and affordable care. By partnering with NAHC, DME Service Solutions connects with a network of professionals focused on effective home care solutions. This partnership provides access to the latest information and in-depth analysis of industry trends, which is essential for staying aligned with current industry needs. NAHC also offers educational programs that will help DME Service Solutions enhance staff expertise and continuously improve service quality.

Grief care efforts should include settings outside of hospice, provider group say McKnights Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 7/3/24 If standards are developed for high-quality bereavement and grief care, they must apply to settings outside of traditional hospice care, such as affordable senior housing, where there is a “critical lack” of mental health services. That’s according to LeadingAge, which submitted comments last week to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality on a draft report from a research project that will inform an independent panel that will develop standards for high-quality bereavement and grief care. Katy Barnett, LeadingAge director of home care and hospice operations and policy, highlighted the need for cross-continuum grief and bereavement assessments, interventions and resources, including in settings outside of traditional hospice care, such as affordable senior housing.