LARKSPUR, Calif. (March 30, 2021)—Hospice by the Bay, a provider of hospice, palliative care, and in-home health care services, today announced that it has taken a new name, By the Bay Health. The name change is designed to more accurately reflect the organization’s current breadth of services, which include hospice care, palliative care, comfort care, grief counseling, pediatric care and skilled home health care services.
hospice
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 12, 2021)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a further delay of its Primary Care First-Seriously Ill Population (PCF-SIP) physician payment model, a component of the PCF that has been closely followed by the hospice and palliative care community. PCF-SIP had previously been scheduled to begin on Jan. 1, 2021, but CMS announced a delayed (April 1, 2021) start date in June 2020.
Meeting people at the end
Grief can be described many ways and affects people differently—from sadness to anger to regret. 2020 saw an increase in grieving as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world. People not only grieved lost loved ones, but also grieved their lost connections.
MADISON, Wis. (February 23, 2021)—Husch Blackwell’s Hospice & Palliative Care team secured a $44 million reduction of an alleged overpayment for a hospice client involved in an audit of Medicare payments. The auditor, a contractor hired by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) to audit hospices, had used statistical extrapolation to find this extraordinary overpayment amount.
ATLANTA (February 10, 2021)—The Health Care business of LexisNexis Risk Solutions has announced the release of its Top 100 Hospice and Home Health Agencies Rankings for 2020. The annual report provides hospice care and home health organizations visibility into industry rankings, market dynamics, standing among competitors, and the overall industry environment for potential M&A activity and growth for their business.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (February 3, 2021)—MatrixCare announced its Home Health and Hospice EHR solution has won Best in KLAS for Home Health EHR (Large) from KLAS Research for the second year in a row.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Feb. 1, 2021)–Where people die can affect the quality of their deaths and their families’ satisfaction with the end-of-life care they receive, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
CLEARWATER, Fla. (January 26, 2021)—Suncoast Hospice, a member of Empath Health, has been awarded the We Honor Veterans 5-Star Partner designation. This is the highest level an organization can receive from We Honor Veterans, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 19, 2021)—As anticipated, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), an advisory body to Congress, met last week to finalize payment and policy recommendations that will be incorporated in its annual March Report to Congress.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 4, 2021)—President Donald J. Trump signed legislation in late December to fund U.S. federal government operations through the 2021 Fiscal Year and provide $900 billion of stimulus supports to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. NAHC has provided the following summary of the over 5600-page legislation.
Priorities for homecare & hospice advocacy in the year ahead
WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 17, 2020)—The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is expressing support for two measures that would improve reimbursement and respite care services.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (December 16, 2020)—Brentwood, Tennessee-based Brookdale Senior Living is reportedly considering divesting its home health and hospice segment, PE Hub recently reported.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 11, 2020)—As part of the year-end legislative push, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification Act of 2019 (BENES Act) to address negative findings by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) regarding survey performance by Medicare-certified hospice providers.
Why tackling social determinants of health can improve patient outcomes & quality of life
WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 8, 2020)—The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has joined with other likeminded organizations to urgently ask Congress to consider the overlooked needs of the disabled and elderly when considering any upcoming COVID relief.
DALLAS (November 24, 2020)—Hospice Source, a provider of durable medical equipment dedicated to the hospice market, acquired Superior Healthcare, Inc. of Martinez, California. The acquisition furthers Hospice Source's position as the largest provider of hospice focused durable medical equipment in the state of California.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 23, 2020)—On December 1 and December 2, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the Home Care and Hospice Financial Managers Association (HHFMA) will present two new webinars that are must-attend for all financial managers in the industry.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 23, 2020)—Beginning on Jan. 1, 2021, through the VBID Model, participating Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) can voluntarily participate in the Hospice Benefit Component of the Model, according to a November 13 transmittal (10458/CR 12045) from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).