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Hospice

Defibrillator implants often overlooked in hospice, end-of-life care

March 08, 2010

A large percentage of hospices don't account for patients with defibrillator implants, which can lead to unnecessary—and uncomfortable—shocks to patients, new research shows.

Court: Medicare hospice provider cap calculated improperly

March 04, 2010

The federal Medicare hospice provider cap is calculated in a way that is "arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and unlawful," a federal court recently ruled.

State, federal pain policies hurt

Liza Berger November 13, 2009

A lot of Americans suffer from chronic pain. This group includes many nursing home residents. Which is why some new developments on the pain front are encouraging.

Agency's crackdown on drug thefts hurts nursing home residents, senators say

October 30, 2009

The Drug Enforcement Agency's efforts to combat narcotics abuse and theft in nursing homes actually negatively affect those residents and hospice care patients who need pain medications, two senators recently argued.

Move toward certifying electronic health records must include long-term care

John Derr October 21, 2009

Long-term care must have have certified electronic health records to keep pace with the rest of the healthcare industry.

Researchers question end-of-life practices at nursing homes

October 16, 2009

Kidney dialysis treatments near the end of life might do more harm than good and aggressive care for individuals with advanced dementia may be well-intentioned but misdirected efforts, results from a pair of new studies suggest.

Most hospice services in nursing homes fail to meet Medicare requirements, OIG finds

September 11, 2009

A growing number of Medicare beneficiaries are receiving hospice care in nursing facilities. But most of these services do not meet Medicare requirements. That is according to two reports from the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services.

New congressional report lends credibility to end-of-life provision in House reform bill

August 14, 2009

A report released this week has found that end-of-life planning and discussions both improves quality of life near death and is associated with less aggressive and less costly care.

Obama addresses rumors about healthcare reform, accuses opponents of using scare tactics

August 12, 2009

President Barack Obama attempted to clear up misconceptions about healthcare reform in a town hall meeting Tuesday. One rumor he addressed is that reform would create government death panels that would "pull the plug on grandma."

CMS increases Medicare rates for hospices for fiscal year 2010

August 03, 2009

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released a regulation increasing Medicare payments to hospices by 1.4% for fiscal year 2010.

Obama talks about end-of-life planning as hospice providers lobby against funding cuts

June 29, 2009

President Barack Obama suggested at a town hall meeting at the White House last Wednesday that some end-of-life education and planning could help save on medical expenses. A day later, hospice care organizations asked the president to halt funding cuts for their programs.

Report: Watching videos of the end of life helps people make care choices

June 02, 2009

When making decisions about end-of-life care, it helps to actually "see" what that stage of life looks like, according to a new report.

Study: Only about half of terminal patients discuss hospice with physicians

May 27, 2009

While discussing end-of-life issues with doctors has been shown to benefit patients and families, approximately half of terminally ill patients refrain from these discussions, according to a new study.

Government proposes cutting Medicare hospice payments 1.1%

April 23, 2009

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Tuesday proposed a rule that would trim Medicare hospice payments by 1.1% in FY 2010.

End-of-life care more costly for minorities

March 11, 2009

Racial disparities persist when it comes to the cost of end-of-life care, according to a new study.

Race affects end-of-life care, study finds

February 03, 2009

Racial disparities still exist when it comes to end-of-life care, a new study suggests. The study found that black and Asian patients are less likely than whites and Hispanics to be enrolled in a hospice program in the final months of life.

Medicare beneficiaries with several ADLs cost more, report finds

January 30, 2009

Medicare beneficiaries who require assistance with three or more activities of daily living account for up to one-quarter of all Medicare Part A and B spending. This despite the fact they constitute only 7% of the Medicare population, according to a new analysis.

House votes against delaying switch to digital television

January 29, 2009

The United States will switch to all-digital television next month after the House defeated a bill that would have delayed it until June.

MedPAC to recommend that Congress alter hospice reimbursement system

January 13, 2009

Medicare should pay a hospice more per day when a beneficiary enters the system and less as the beneficiary's stay increases in length, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission officials said recently.

CMS expert: Economic crisis could bankrupt Part A in eight years

December 03, 2008

Healthcare officials in recent years have projected that the Medicare Part A trust fund would become insolvent by 2019. Now some are saying that the program could run out of money even sooner as a result of the economic downturn.

Use of advance directives increases among nursing home residents

November 12, 2008

Advance directive documentation is sharply on the rise in the nation's nursing homes, according to a recent report from the Institute for the Future of Aging Services, a research arm of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.

Hospice payment system requires reform, staff tells MedPAC

November 11, 2008

Medicare hospice payment reform will be necessary to combat the rising cost of hospice, staff members suggested recently to the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC).

Washington approves assisted-suicide law

November 06, 2008

Voters in the state of Washington this week approved a ballot-initiative that legalizes medically assisted suicide. It is now the second state in the union, along with neighboring Oregon, to approve such a measure.

Research: End-of-life discussions improve quality of life for families, patients

October 09, 2008

Discussions about end-of-life issues between patients, doctors and families improve the quality of life for the terminally ill. They also have "cascading benefits" for both patients and their loved ones, according to new research.

Aging committee to look into end-of-life issues

September 23, 2008

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) on Wednesday will chair a Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing into the legal environment, laws and barriers surrounding end-of-life decision-making.

Schiavo case showed media's power to affect end-of-life decisions, report says

September 05, 2008

Many factors contribute to the end-of-life decision-making process: the opinions of family and friends, financial considerations, and religion. Now, a recent report based on the Terri Schiavo news story finds that the mass media can influence the process as well.

Patients' wishes may be overlooked in end-of-life decisions

September 02, 2008

Families and physicians are often left to make end-of-life decisions for patients, and these choices are more complicated than many realize, according to a new study.

New palliative care ethical guideline released

July 01, 2008

Palliative care workers are allowed to sedate some patients with intractable pain at the end of life--but only as a last-resort measure, according to a new ethical guideline approved by the American Medical Association at its most recent annual meeting.