Literature Review

BREAKING NEWS 10/1/2024, 12:30pm - Medicare Program; FY 2025 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update, Hospice Conditions of Participation Updates, and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements; Correction Federal Register - The Daily Journal of the United States Government; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services  (CMS), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); 10/1/24 This document corrects technical and typographical errors in the final rule that appeared in the August 6, 2024 Federal Register titled “Medicare Program; FY 2025 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update, Hospice Conditions of Participation Updates, and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements”.I. Background: In FR Doc. 2024-16910 of August 6, 2024 (89 FR 64202), there were a number of technical and typographical errors that are identified and corrected in this correcting document. The provisions in this correction document are effective as if they had been included in the final rule that appeared in the August 6, 2024 Federal Register . Accordingly, the corrections are effective October 1, 2024.II. Summary of Errors: ...Given these errors, we are republishing the FY 2025 Hospice Wage Index file accordingly on the CMS website at: https://www.cms.gov/​medicare/​payment/​fee-for-service-providers/​hospice/​hospice-wage-index effective October 1, 2024.

Teleios Collaborative Network develops Quintuple Aim Strategy to enhance hospice care Business Insider / Markets Insider, Flat Rock, NC; Press Release; 9/27/24 Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN) has officially announced the launch of its Quintuple Aim Strategy, aimed at setting a new standard for excellence in hospice and serious illness care. This initiative addresses the pressing need for improved quality of life for patients nearing the end of life, as many hospices face challenges in providing comprehensive care. ... The Quintuple Aim Strategy emphasizes five key goals: improving patient experience, enhancing population health, reducing costs, promoting provider well-being, and advancing health equity. This holistic approach enables member organizations to focus on their core mission of delivering high-quality, compassionate care. One of the key components of TCN’s model is the provision of comprehensive back-office support services. By offering shared resources in areas such as credentialing, billing, marketing, and finance, TCN allows its members to minimize administrative burdens and prioritize patient care. In just seven years, TCN has grown to include 15 member organizations across 10 states, and it has been recognized as one of Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work for four consecutive years, underscoring its commitment to fostering a supportive and effective work environment. ...

Final HOPE materials releasedNAHC email; 9/17/24Hospices will begin completing the Hospice Outcome & Patient Evaluation (HOPE) on October 1, 2025. The final HOPE item sets – HOPE Admission v1.00, HOPE Update Visit (HUV) v1.00, HOPE Discharge v1.00 and HOPE ALL Item v1.00 – and accompanying HOPE Guidance Manual v1.00 were released on September 16. These documents can be accessed from the downloads section on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) HQRP HOPE webpage.[Accessing full article may require membership login.]

More nonprofit hospices consolidating amid economic, regulatory pressures Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 9/12/24 As M&A in the for-profit space continues its two-year slump, nonprofits are consolidating in rising numbers. Recent years have seen an uptick in consolidation activity among nonprofits in the hospice space. Increasingly, nonprofits are pursuing acquisitions and affiliations, as well as forming regional collaboratives. In addition, some nonprofits have also been acquired by for-profit companies. Driving this trend are reimbursement and regulatory pressures, as well as a need to compete with larger, well-capitalized for-profit entities, according to Mark Kulik, senior managing director for the M&A advisory firm The Braff Group. [Click on the title's link to continue reading this significant article.] 

2024 NHPCO Facts and Figures Report now available National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 9/10/242022 Data Show First Increase in Hospice Utilization Rates Since COVID The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) published the 2024 edition of National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) Facts and Figures, an annual report on key data points related to the delivery of hospice care, including information on patient characteristics, location and level of care, Medicare hospice spending, and hospice providers. Facts and Figures – the leading resource for hospice providers and others interested in understanding the work of the community – has been published annually for over two decades by NHPCO. ... The findings in this report reflect patients who received care in Calendar Year (CY) 2022, or Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, provided by hospices certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and reimbursed under the Medicare Hospice Benefit. This year COVID-19 continued to impact patient care as COVID-19 waivers were still in place through May 2023. These waivers included increased telehealth services. With 49.1% of all Medicare decedents in 2022 choosing hospice care, utilization of hospice increased in 2022 for the first time since 2019. The increase hints at a normalization of the utilization rates back to pre-COVID data. Hospice utilization rates increased across all race and ethnicity groups, with the largest increase among Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries seeing. The total number of beneficiaries enrolled in hospice care in 2022 was 1.72 million. Due to the unique impact of COVID-19 on 2020 data, those data are not included in many of the charts this year.

Anthony House advocates for comfort care homes and hospice care in the community Oswego County Today, Oswego, NY; by Step One Creative; 9/6/24 Anthony House of Wellhouse Ministries ... is advocating for the importance of comfort care and homes allowing for the care to hospice patients. Anthony House, an Oswego-based non-profit, who is finalizing construction plans for their new hospice care facility in Hannibal, New York, aims to raise awareness about the critical need for these specialized care settings... Kateri Spinella, Executive Director of Anthony House of Wellhouse Ministries, emphasized the significance of comfort care homes in the community, stating, “At Anthony House, we believe that every individual deserves to experience end-of-life care with dignity, respect, and compassion. Our new facility will provide a nurturing environment where patients and families can find solace, support, and comfort during their journey.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Steve Landers, MD, MPH, Named Inaugural Chief Executive Officer of NAHC-NHPCO Alliance NAHC-NHPCO Alliance Press Release, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; by Elyssa Katz and Thomas Threlkeld; 8/26/24, 9:36 am ET Steven Landers, MD, MPH, has been named the inaugural Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the newly merged NAHC-NHPCO Alliance (The Alliance). A recognized national leader and innovator in home health, primary care and aging services, Dr. Landers brings almost two decades of experience as a physician, executive leader and health policy advocate to The Alliance, which represents care at home and community providers across the country. ... “The Alliance members provide a wide range of high-quality home- and community-based services that promote comfort, dignity and independence. I’m so proud to become a part of this organization, and am eager to serve,” said Dr. Landers. “I’ve had the opportunity in my career to see the health care industry from many vantage points, and in this new role with The Alliance, I will use all that I have learned to make a difference for our members as we continue to expand to meet the growing public needs for our care.”

5 DEI expectations organizations should have of all leaders Forbes; by Julie Kratz; 8/18/24 Without leadership support, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts do not work. ... For organizations wrestling with holding leaders accountable for DEI, consider these questions: 

Stay ahead of Medicare fraudsters ... Watch out for Medicare fraudsters The Times of Noblesville, Indiana; Information provided by the U.S. Department of HEalth & Human Services 8/16/24 (Family Features) ... Watch Out for Medicare Hospice Fraud: Beware of scammers offering older Americans in-home perks, like free cooking, cleaning and home health services, while they are unknowingly being signed up for hospice services. The scammers then unlawfully bill Medicare for these services in your name. Remember this advice to avoid hospice scams: [practical tips for the public] ... Report Medicare Fraud ...Editor's Note: This information for the public--provided by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services--provides an important resource for your community outreach, marketing, and admissions employees.

WellSky CEO Bill Miller: Exercise caution, responsibility with AI in hospice Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 8/12/24 Many expect AI to revolutionize health care, speeding access to care, improving diagnosis and prognosis, enhancing efficiency and achieving other benefits. However, providers need to see through the hype and ask the hard questions. This is according to Bill Miller, CEO of the health care tech company WellSky. ... Hospice News sat down with Miller to discuss current perspectives on AI, its potential benefits and possible risks. [Miller:] "... we’re exercising responsibility and caution when we start thinking about AI jumping into the diagnosis game, or somehow replacing the caregiver. We think of it more of how you could enhance the caregiver, keep the human in the loop. If we can help caregivers arrive at better outcomes for their patients by using AI tools and assisting them, then we’ll do that."

What’s changed in hospice in 2024?Managed Healthcare Executive; By Deborah Abrams Kaplan; 8/5/24Hospice use continues to grow as more older people have serious diseases, leading to the need for more palliative care. At the same time, CMS is adapting and trying new models to measure and improve quality and pay for services. The federal government spent $23.7 billion on hospice care in 2022, according to the latest Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) report, with at least 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries receiving service. This includes nearly half of Medicare beneficiaries who died that year. Here’s what to expect over the next year. [Summarized]

How the Hospice CARE Act could change respite services Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 8/1/24 The Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act, if enacted, would make changes to the ways hospices provide respite care. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) is in the process of drafting the bill that would represent the most significant reforms to date for hospice payment and oversight. The legislation is currently in a discussion draft phase, which has been circulated among the nation’s major industry trade associations and their members for feedback. ... “There’s evidence that people who take advantage of hospice care delivered properly, actually have a higher quality of life. Oftentimes, they live longer,” Blumenauer said at Elevate. “This is an opportunity to do something in this Congress that is concrete, specific, that will save money and improve the quality of care for some of our most vulnerable people.”

New hospice care centre breaks ground Bernews, Bermuda; 7/22/24 The future of hospice care in Bermuda has taken a leap forward with the groundbreaking on the site of the new Woodland Grove Care Centre on Spice Hill Road, Warwick. A spokesperson said, “Community partners and board members of Friends of Hospice were present to mark the symbolic first shovel-strike of the multi-year construction of Bermuda’s first purpose-built hospice and eldercare care facility. The Care Centre will significantly increase and improve on the care options available on island. ... The building will have an aesthetic character heavily inspired by traditional Bermudian residential character, massing, and vernacular. The provision of functional gardens and landscaped outdoor areas, around the building, contribute to the home environment and will offer tranquil and calming spaces.