WiHPCA is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information from Hospice News, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, and other publications:
· New Research Proposes ‘Sustainable’ Palliative Care Payment Model
By Holly Vossel | June 24, 2022
A group of researchers have modified a proposed reimbursement system for palliative care that they say would improve access for patients and make the service more lucrative for providers. The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) in 2017 proposed that the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ (HHS) consider the Patient and Caregiver Support for Serious Illness (PACSSI) model.
· MedPAC: Streamline Alternative Payment Models
By Jim Parker | June 22, 2022
As hospices explore greater participation in alternative payment models, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is urging Congress to reduce and restructure those programs. Hospice providers have been eying APMs emerging for the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). These models represent an entry point to value-based reimbursement, as well as a means to support additional business lines such as palliative care, PACE and other services. Read more…
· US Senators Call on CMS to Boost Palliative Care Resources
By Jim Parker | June 21, 2022
A bipartisan group of nine U.S. Senators have written to U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, calling for a payment model demonstration designed to support greater access to palliative care. The lawmakers urged the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to develop a dedicated community-based palliative care benefit, which has been a longstanding goal for providers and industry advocacy groups. Read more…
· Care Coordination Key to Hospices’ Success in Value-Based Care
By Jim Parker | June 17, 2022
As more health care reimbursement migrates towards value-based payment models, providers will need to master the art of care coordination. Seriously ill patients can easily fall through the cracks in a fragmented health care system, leading to poorer outcomes and costly hospital stays and emergency department visits. Closing these gaps is a rising priority in payment model demonstrations by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). Read more…
· Staff Poaching on Rise Amid Hospice Labor Shortage
By Holly Vossel | June 14, 2022
As hospices continue to duke it out in the labor market, more providers are contending with competitors poaching their employees. A number of hospice leaders have told Hospice News that poaching is becoming a greater source of tension in the industry’s recruitment and retention ground war. This often comes with promises of higher wages, more extensive benefit packages or sign-on bonuses. Read more…
· Quality Measures: Will the CMS Hospice Care Index Actually Work?
By Jim Parker | June 1, 2022
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) designed the Hospice Care Index (HCI) to paint a picture of care processes that occur between a patient’s admission and discharge, but as currently designed it may not be an effective measure of quality. Payers and referral partners are paying closer attention to hospices’ performance on publicly reported quality measures, which as of Fiscal Year 2022 includes the HCI. Each provider receives a single numerical score ranging from zero to 10, based on a set of quality indicators. Read more…
Hospice News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the hospice industry. National Association for Home Care and Hospiceis the largest professional association representing the interests of chronically ill, disabled, and dying Americans of all ages and the caregivers who provide them with in-home health and hospice services.
