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Hospice

Hospice provider fraudulently cycled patients through nursing homes, hospices, whistle-blower suit claims

January 05, 2012

Hospice company AseraCare allegedly defrauded Medicare by cycling beneficiaries through nursing homes and hospice care, according to a whistle-blower suit announced this week.

Maryland mandates end-of-life wishes form for LTC residents

October 11, 2011

Maryland healthcare professionals will soon be required to complete a form outlining a patient's end-of-life wishes upon admission to a long-term care facility, according to a new regulation.

Study: Nursing home hospice services improved care for dementia patients, families say

August 01, 2011

Nursing home hospice services boosted care and support for residents dying of dementia and their families, according to new research.

Hospices to receive 2.5% bump for Medicare patients

August 01, 2011

Hospices treating Medicare beneficiaries will see a 2.5% increase in payments for fiscal year 2012, according to a final rule released Friday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. They must also begin reporting on the quality of care.

Inspector general recommends lower Medicare payment rates to nursing home hospices

July 22, 2011

A new federal audit has found that Medicare spending on nursing home hospice patients increased by 69% over four years. Now, regulators are recommending a reduction in payment levels for nursing home-based hospice patients.

Hospice costs questioned

June 28, 2011

In the midst of debates over how to sustain Medicare, the cost of hospice has come under increased scrutiny. Medicare's tally for hospice care has spiked, and four in 10 Medicare beneficiaries use hospice before they die. At the crux of the issue is that Medicare pays a per diem rate for hospice patients rather than reimbursement based on specific services.

Physicians unhappy with palliative care act

June 08, 2011

New York State's Palliative Care Information Act, which was passed last summer and implemented in February, is meeting resistance from doctors who treat patients at the end of their life.

Rapid growth of for-profit hospices raises ethical concerns, study says

May 19, 2011

The success of the for-profit hospice industry has caused concern among ethicists who say that the goal of profitability interferes with their ability to provide quality end-of-life care, according to new research.

Medicare expenditures for advanced dementia patients vary widely, study shows

May 17, 2011

Implementing high-quality palliative care programs for nursing home residents with advanced dementia could prevent expensive hospitalizations and burdensome interventions, such as feeding tubes, a new study finds.

CMS rule would lower hospice payment rates by $80 million

May 02, 2011

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a proposed rule that would lower Medicare payment rates for hospices by $80 million in fiscal year 2012.

CMS implements new law on hospice, home health

April 04, 2011

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has begun implementing a new law that requires physicians to meet face-to-face with individuals looking to be certified for Medicare home health services and Medicare hospice services.

SIX DAYS TO GO: McKnight's 5th Annual Online Expo

March 17, 2011

Two federal courts recently issued nearly identical rulings declaring the Medicare cap on hospice reimbursements to be invalid. They continue an unbroken series of rejections of the Department of Health and Human Services' payment rule.

... while Medicare cuts threaten hospices' profit margins

March 08, 2011

Medicare profit margins for hospice providers could dip into negative territory thanks to two new cuts to Medicare reimbursements, according to a new survey.

A reason to hide

James M. Berklan February 17, 2011

Given recent flaps about hospice care in nursing homes, one has to wonder if long-term care providers are always going to be subjected to the "one step forward, one step back" syndrome.

For-profit hospices select patients who require less care, study shows

February 03, 2011

For-profit hospices might be admitting more low-cost, lucrative patients, who require less skilled-care than non-profit hospices, a study released Wednesday suggests. Additionally, for-profit agencies average 20 days of care, compared to the 16 days covered by non-profit facilities, according to the study.

Some of the extras seem to be going off the script

James M. Berklan February 01, 2011

For anyone who thinks most of the good scripts are in Hollywood, I say look east. The nation's capital can more than hold its own when it comes to creating story lines that are interesting and unpredictable.

Critics of nursing-home hospices suspicious of revenue

January 31, 2011

When a major lobbying group trumpeted the long-term care industry's status as an economic and job-creating powerhouse last week, critics took the opportunity to press for further inquiries into how nursing homes are financed and operated — particularly LTC facilities that provide hospice services.

Studies offer mixed results on cost benefits of hospice care

October 15, 2010

Increased use of hospice care services could help rein in healthcare spending at the end of life, according to one study. But another study indicates that hospice is not a silver bullet, Reuters Health reported.

Costs skyrocket for ex-hospice patients, study finds

September 30, 2010

It is cheaper for terminally ill cancer patients to stay in hospice rather than leave it, according to a new study.

Oregon hospices steer clear of physician-assisted suicide

September 20, 2010

Hospices in Oregon, where physician-assisted suicide is legal, rarely participate in the practice, according to a recent survey.

Medicare demonstration project to cover hospice, curative care

September 08, 2010

The Medicare program is gearing up to begin a 15-site demonstration project that will provide both hospice care and life-sustaining treatments to Medicare beneficiaries, according to recent reports.

Hospice provider wins injunction against HHS efforts to enforce 'capricious' reimbursement cap

August 24, 2010

An Arkansas hospice provider has been granted a temporary reprieve from efforts by the Department of Health and Human Services to recoup reimbursement the federal agency says exceeds the annual Medicare reimbursement cap for hospice services.

Benefits of palliative care include longer, better life, study finds

August 20, 2010

Some terminally patients who receive palliative care live longer and with a better quality of life than those who receive standard medical care, a new report suggests.

Gentiva completes Odyssey takeover bid

August 18, 2010

Home health giant Gentiva Health Services Inc. has completed its acquisition of hospice provider Odyssey HealthCare Inc., the company announced Tuesday.

Medicare policy driving longer nursing home hospice stays

July 12, 2010

The length of Medicare-certified hospice stays in nursing homes has doubled over the last decade, according to a new report from Brown University.

A new idea for hospice in long-term care

Larry Beresford June 29, 2010

The latest research raises the question of whether nursing homes should take charge of hospice care and not rely on outside contractors.

U.S. district court invalidates federal calculation for hospice care reimbursement

June 15, 2010

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma recently ruled that a federal regulation capping Medicare payments for hospice care providers is invalid. That echoes a Texas district court ruling handed down earlier this year.

Hospice-home health merger to affect long-term care

Liza Berger June 03, 2010

Developments in the hospice and home care markets may not generally catch the eyes of folks in the long-term care sphere. But that could change as a result of a recent transaction.

Massive home health, hospice acquisition to shake up aging services field, analysts say

June 02, 2010

Home health company Gentiva Health Services' planned purchase of Odyssey Healthcare, a hospice provider, will send ripples through the aging services industry, analysts told Investor's Business Daily.

New guidelines released for hospice patients with defibrillators

May 17, 2010

New guidelines covering implanted defibrillators in terminal patients should help patients, doctors and hospice caregivers decide how to proceed with end-of-life treatments, experts say.