hospice

HARTFORD, Conn. (April 5, 2022)—CareCentrix, an independent home-centered company that coordinates care to the home for health plans, patients and providers, announced a rebrand of the Turn-Key Health palliative care solution to Serious Illness Care at Home, which provides a population health approach to home-based serious illness care. Turn-Key began providing palliative services nationally in 2016 and was acquired by CareCentrix in 2020.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 31, 2022)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a proposed rule (CMS1773-P) that would provide routine updates to hospice based payments and the aggregate cap amount for fiscal year (FY) 2023 in accordance with existing statutory and regulatory requirements. This rule proposes to establish a permanent mitigation policy to smooth the impact of year-to-year changes in hospice payments related to changes in the hospice wage index.

AUSTIN, Texas, (March 29, 2022)—CareFlash and Snowline Hospice announced that the organizations have entered into a collaborative partnership that leverages togetherness, empathy and nostalgia to enhance healing and aging journeys, chronic and cognitive illness, even in celebrating a loved one's memory. This agreement provides patients, families and communities access to CareFlash's signature platform, "The Careopolis, A Metropolis of Love and Empathy."

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (March 22, 2022)—Complia Health, a home health and hospice technology solutions provider, announced today the launch of EMMA (Electronic Medical Management Assistant), which leverages artificial intelligence to automate time consuming daily tasks and enable care agencies to increase productivity.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (March 10, 2022)—Empath Health’s CEO Rafael J. Sciullo was honored with the Galen Miller Leadership Award during the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) 2022 Leadership and Advocacy Conference at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. Sciullo's legacy of leadership and innovation in the field of hospice and palliative care won him this maximum recognition.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (March 10, 2022)—MatrixCare announced the availability of MatrixCare Link, a new tool within its home health, hospice and palliative care electronic health record (EHR) software that simplifies communication and forms management for increased efficiency and a higher quality care experience for patients, physicians, and caregivers.

MatrixCare Link includes two essential components:

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (March 8, 2022)—IntellaTriage, a provider of after-hours nurse-first triage services, announced the addition of Bernadette Smith as vice president of marketing. The first to hold this role at the company, Smith will be responsible for marketing strategies and coordination of marketing operations.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 22, 2022)—Medicare paid a total $6.6 billion to nonhospice providers for services provided to hospice beneficiaries between 2010 and 2019, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (February 8, 2022)—Medicare Advantage programs are likely to continue to grow at a rapid pace, replacing traditional Medicare coverage for America’s seniors in increasing numbers, former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma said Tuesday. 

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (February 8, 2022)—MatrixCare announced its Home Health, Hospice and Palliative Care electronic health record solution has earned Best in KLAS honors for the third year in a row, receiving a score of 87.1 for Home Health EHR (Large) and 85.0 for Hospice, according to this year’s report.

KLAS Research added the hospice category this year, making MatrixCare the first winner for its comprehensive hospice EHR solution.

ARVADA, Colo. (February 8, 2022)—The Colorado Visiting Nurse Association (Colorado VNA) announced that it has reached an agreement with 24/7 AvaRe Home Health to absorb their health care staff and patients into Colorado VNA.

CHICAGO (January 27, 2022)—The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) has recently elected its 2022-2023 Board of Directors and Nominating Committee. Drs. Nathan Goldstein and Tara Friedman will continue to serve on the executive committee as past president and president, respectively.
 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 18, 2022)—The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) met Thursday, January 13, to vote on their annual recommendations to Congress regarding payment policy and reporting requirements. This session served as a formality following presentation and discussion of the same recommendations that were put forward at the commission’s December 2021 meeting.

CLEARWATER, Fla. (January 12, 2022)—Empath Health announced that its affiliate organization Empath Hospice has been granted initial approval by the Agency for Health Care Administration to deliver hospice care services in Hardee, Highlands and Polk counties.
 
Empath Hospice is built on the foundation of Suncoast Hospice and Tidewell Hospice, which have been providing pioneering care in the Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida regions for a combined 85 years.
 

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (January 12, 2022)—Forcura, a health care technology company that enables safer patient care transitions and coordination, announced that it will recognize Amedisys as the recipient of its first-ever Forcura CONNECT Award.
 

FORT WORTH, Texas (January 5, 2022)—Jet Health Inc., a regional provider of home health and hospice services, announced the acquisition of Blessings Hospice, an Arlington, Texas-based hospice company. Blessings Hospice has been serving patients throughout Arlington since its 2019 founding.

ARLINGTON, Va. (January 4, 2022)—Barbara McCann BSW MA, the Community Health Accreditation Partner’s (CHAP) chief quality officer, retired effective Dec. 31, 2021.

WASHINTON, D.C. (December 21, 2021)—A federal appeals court has reinstated the Biden administration’s coronavirus vaccination or testing policy for large private businesses, reversing an earlier court ruling that had halted the mandate.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 17, 2021)—On November 16, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) published the report titled, “Medicare Improperly Paid Suppliers an Estimated $117 Million Over 4 Years for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies Provided to Hospice Beneficiaries.” 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 16, 2021)—Late last week, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), an advisory body to the U.S. Congress, verbally approved the following recommendations, with a formal vote will be taken at a January meeting. The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has provided a summary of those recommendations: