From the Desk of the NHPCO – March 2024
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) responded to today’s announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that as of December 31, 2024, the hospice benefit component of the Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model will conclude. This model allowed participating Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) to include the Medicare hospice benefit in their Medicare Advantage benefits package.
CMS cited feedback from providers, beneficiaries, and MAOs about their experience with VBID as the reason for discontinuing the hospice component of the model. CMS will no longer be accepting applications for the calendar year (CY) 2025 Request for Applications. This means hospice will no longer be a part of the VBID model beginning January 1, 2025. Hospice providers currently contracted with MAOs will continue with their contracts for CY 2024.
This outcome is a direct response which follows over five years of advocacy and engagement by NHPCO, including meetings and official filings with CMS’ VBID team in February 2024, August 2022, August 2021, and Spring 2020.
“This is a huge victory for patients’ access to quality care and for hospice providers who have continually identified challenges with this demonstration including concerns about VBID giving MAOs the ability to limit patient choices. NHPCO has advocated for years to end the VBID hospice carve-in and appreciate CMS making this important change,” said Ben Marcantonio, COO and Interim CEO of NHPCO. “We saw great success with concurrent care tested through the Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM) and would encourage CMMI to consider these learnings as a potential path forward.”
CMS will continue the VBID model in 2025 without the hospice component with the goal of delivering equitable, quality, person-centered care to Medicare beneficiaries. NHPCO will continue to work closely with Congress and CMS to reduce barriers for Americans seeking access to hospice and ensuring quality end-of-life care.
