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Category \ Hospice


The rate of suicide in the United States’ terminally ill population is unknown. However, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) reports suicide in the top reported sentinel events across healthcare organizations many years running. Every hospice staff … Keep Reading
The start of this new decade brought a myriad of challenges to the healthcare space. One of the most notable was the heightening of an already tenuous hospice staffing situation. Whether due to fear of exposure to COVID-19, burnout from … Keep Reading
I was delighted to have three well-respected national home healthcare leaders join me in a candid conversation about their personal thoughts on leadership at a time of tremendous change and opportunity. These leaders – Edo Banach, Bill Dombi and Vicki … Keep Reading
Effective January 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented the Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model for hospice and palliative care patients enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. The new VBID Model requires hospice organizations to submit claims to … Keep Reading
Fee-for-service Medicare coverage for hospice care is no longer the only option for providers. Starting on January 1, 2021, the Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model took effect to test the impact of care delivery and quality of care for palliative … Keep Reading
The Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for hospice care require hospice organizations to assess patients and their families’ spiritual needs and provide spiritual counseling if the patient chooses to accept these services. The State Operations Manual (SOM) Interpretive Guidelines instruct … Keep Reading
The nation’s healthcare system was severely tested in 2020, leaving many providers exhausted and hopeful that the new year would bring with it some relief. The Crystal Ball: 2021 Federal Legislative and Regulatory Outlook for Home-Based Care Agency Providers event … Keep Reading
The revised Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) took effect in 2021, with a new claims-based quality measure replacing the previous quality-based Section O measure pair. While hospice organizations can continue to record Section O data, adapting to the new quality … Keep Reading
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, a COVID-19 relief package months in the making, has passed and contains many benefits for hospice organizations. Still, it comes with significant changes that affect current business operations. Establishing and Enforcing the HOSPICE Program … Keep Reading
Good news for home healthcare organizations – more COVID-19 relief is on the way. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 has been signed by President Trump and will offer organizations much-needed assistance by extending some elements of the CARES Act … Keep Reading
Working on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic has its risks. Healthcare professionals in high numbers are suffering from a new hardship known as “pandemic fatigue.” Pandemic fatigue occurs in workers who are taking care of patients, trying to … Keep Reading
As the spread of COVID-19 persists, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is undertaking targeted infection prevention and control surveys to verify that organizations are doing everything they can to protect vulnerable patients from the coronavirus. The use … Keep Reading

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