Literature Review

Hospices leverage school-based partnerships to strengthen bereavement care Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 10/7/24 Some hospices have increasingly recognized the value of collaborating with local educators when it comes to improving community grief support for bereaved children and their families. Establishing collaborative relationships with educational institutions can help hospices ensure that they’re developing age-appropriate grief services, according to Cole Warner, director of support services at North Carolina-based Hospice of Davidson County. The nonprofit provides hospice services across 10 counties in its service area and also offers bereavement and veteran programs. The ability to identify and communicate grief-related emotions ranges across different age groups, and bereavement care teams need to be well-versed on youths’ cognitive capacity, Warner said. This involves having educators weigh in the common challenges that kids experience along their grief journeys. ...

The best bets for palliative care reimbursement post-VBID Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/8/24 The hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID) will sunset at the end of this year, but opportunities for payment through Medicare Advantage and other models remain. The hospice component is part of the larger VBID program, which will continue through 2030. The component was designed to test coverage of hospice through Medicare Advantage. It also contained elements intended to expand access to palliative care, for which reimbursement in general is scarce. Hospice News spoke with Dr. Bob Parker, chief clinical officer and chief compliance officer for the Texas-based hospice provider Kindful Health, about the opportunities in place for palliative care providers. [Click on the title's link for this interview.]

How to prepare yourself for death when given a terminal diagnosis Yahoo!Life; by Kate Ng; 10/8/24 Receiving a terminal diagnosis can be a devastating blow, for the individual and their loved ones. There is no right or wrong way to react to such news, and people respond with all sorts of emotions - from anger and denial, to acceptance and peace. Having a terminal illness can also give a person new perspective. ...

Newsweek: America's Best Nursing Homes 2025 Newsweek; introduction by Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief; 10/8/24 ... This year's list recognizes 1,050 nursing homes across the 25 states with the highest number of facilities, according to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data. The top nursing homes in each state were assessed and ranked based on four pillars: performance data, recommendations of medical professionals, accreditations and resident satisfaction.Editor's note: To access lists, click on the title's link and scroll down to select "... 50-99 beds," "... 100-149 beds," "... 150+ beds." Results are ranked and organized by state.

Court rules False Claims Act Provisions unconstitutional, with implications for hospice cases Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/7/24 A federal judge has struck down the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, with broad implications for hospice and other health care enforcement actions. The ruling centers on the law’s qui tam clauses, which the court found unconstitutional. In a qui tam action, a whistleblower, called a “relator” by the courts, files a False Claims Act suit on behalf of the government and possibly receives a portion of any funds recovered by the government via the lawsuit, typically ranging from 15% to 25%. The overwhelming majority of False Claims Act cases involve qui tam whistleblowers. In Fiscal Year 2023, for example, these cases recovered $2.3 billion of the total $2.68 billion recouped by the government in FCA settlements and judgements, according to a report from the law firm Polsinelli. ... FCA cases have been rampant in the hospice space during the last several years. Many of the major cases and settlements that have occurred during that time have been qui tam actions, including two major actions this year. ...

Temporary regulatory relief for South Carolina health care providers responding to Hurricane Helene Baker Donelson; Alissa D. Fleming; 10/4/24 South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster declared a State of Emergency on September 25, 2024, to prepare for Hurricane Helene. On September 29, 2024, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a Federal Major Disaster Declaration (FEMA-4829-DR) for South Carolina. On September 30, 2024, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared a public health emergency in South Carolina, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued several blanket waivers to provide greater compliance flexibility and continuity of care while responding to Helene in the geographic area covered by the President's declaration. These waivers [detailed in the article] provide health care facilities with flexibility in service delivery, staffing, and patient care, aimed at alleviating the strain caused by Helene. Further, HHS, the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS), and other regulatory bodies have announced relief efforts, all aimed at reducing administrative burdens so providers can continue to care for and treat those in need. ...7. Hospices Assessment Timeframe Extension: CMS is extending the timeframe for updating comprehensive hospice patient assessments from 15 to 21 days, though initial and ad-hoc assessments must still be completed based on patient needs. ...Editor's note: Click on the title's link to continue reading. Other CMS waivers are defined for 1. General ... for Health Care Facilities; 2. Critical Access Hospictals; 3. Hospital and Long Term Care Facilities; 4. Skilled Nursing Facilities; 5. Home Health Agencies; 6. DME, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies; 7. Hospice (above); 8. Practioner Licensure and Enrollment ... HIPAA; Disaster Relief

NCCI unveils new, more precise Workers’ Comp Medical Price Index Insurance Journal; by William Rabb; 10/7/24 In recent years, workers’ compensation insurers have struggled to accurately gauge the precise trends in medical costs, and have had to rely on indexes that weren’t quite on-point: The U.S. Consumer Price Index is geared toward what patients pay and does not include Medicare’s reimbursement rates, which so many states now tie their workers’ comp fee schedules to. ... Comes now the National Council on Compensation Insurance with a new measuring stick, the Workers’ Compensation Weighted Medical Price Index. It was unveiled recently and has received favorable feedback from carriers, Stephen Cooper, NCCI’s executive director and senior economist, said in a webinar. “By taking the PHC and its construction, we’ve gone and re-created a similar index using similar methodology,” Cooper said. ... 

World Hospice & Palliative Care Day - Saturday October 12, 2024 WHPCA - Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance; webpage retrieved 10/7/24 World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is an annual unified day of action to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care around the world. WHPCD has been marked every year for the last 20 years. Join us on Saturday 12 October to advocate for better hospice and palliative care services around the world. The WHPCD theme for 2024:Ten Years Since the Resolution: How are we doing? The year 2024 marks 10 years since the World Health Assembly (WHO’s Governing Body) passed the only stand-alone resolution on palliative care, calling for all countries to “strengthen palliative care as a component of comprehensive care throughout the life course.” This is what inspired the theme for 2024. [Click on the title's link for this article and to download a wealth of resources.] 

Hoping to reach 100? You’re not going to like these new life expectancy projections New York Post; by Tracy Swartz; 10/7/24 Let’s keep it 100 — your chances of becoming a centenarian are slim. Medical breakthroughs, public health achievements and better diets led to steep increases in global life expectancy in the 1800s and 1900s. But startling new research finds this momentum has slowed and the biggest boosts to longevity may be in the rearview mirror. “Most people alive today at older ages are living on time that was manufactured by medicine,” said lead study author S. Jay Olshansky, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “But these medical Band-Aids are producing fewer years of life even though they’re occurring at an accelerated pace, implying that the period of rapid increases in life expectancy is now documented to be over,” Olshansky added. The analysis, conducted with researchers from the University of Hawaii, Harvard and UCLA, includes data from eight countries with the longest-living populations (Australia, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland), Hong Kong and the US from 1990 to 2019.

Guest column: Hopewest – Breaking the silence: Supporting suicide prevention and survivors of loss Special to the Herald Times; 10/2/24 Those left in the wake of a suicide loss sometimes aren’t sure where to turn or what to do. Uprooted by shock and overcome by the grief of losing someone to suicide can feel painful and isolating. ... The stigma surrounding suicide deaths, particularly on the Western Slope of Colorado, often hinders individuals from seeking the support they need. To address this crisis in our communities, we must not only bring awareness to suicide prevention but also collectively understand and acknowledge the challenges that survivors of suicide loss face. “Grief after the loss of a loved one to suicide is a unique and painful experience. Survivors struggle with a range of challenges, from the heavy weight of stigma surrounding the death, to judgment from others,” said Judy Eskelson, HopeWest Meeker Bereavement Counselor. “And for many in our community, they may not fully understand the ins and outs of this type of grief. Life after this kind of death can be overwhelmingly difficult, leaving families to navigate a path they never expected to walk.” ... Following the devastating loss of a loved one to suicide, the HopeWest bereavement team is here to walk alongside individuals and families needing a source of comfort and guidance through their grief journey. Editor's note: Though many hospices provide bare, minimum grief support, many others--like HopeWest--live out their mission by providing a fuller scope of bereavement counseling and support. What does your hospice provide? Throughout your service area, do bereaved persons (whether hospice deaths or not) think of your agency as the "dying, death and bereavement" expert, or not? 

West Des Moines teacher battling cancer hopes to inspire his community KCCI Des Moine, IA; by Nicole Tam; 10/4/24 Luke Miller's passion is teaching. Two and a half years ago, he faced the biggest test of his life. "I went into the doctor with a pain on my side," Miller said. An MRI showed tumors in his liver that spread from his colon. "I was told I might have a year to live and I would never have surgery," Miller said. He beat those odds but the battle continues. Through it all, nothing stopped him from doing what he loved. ... This fall, Miller stepped away from the classroom. Even as he goes through a hospice at EveryStep's Kavanagh House, the students are still with Mr. Miller. His room is filled with handwritten notes, pictures and reminders of hope. ... At Westridge Elementary School, starting from the outside as people are driving to school to the inside, there are signs of support for Miller including the digital message board and posters in the hallway. "We want to support the Millers, not only now but in the future as well. We want them to know we'll always be here for them because Luke was always here for us," Troy Ellerbroek, Westridge Elementary School teacher, said. 

Hosparus Health ranked fourth in nation for overall quality The News-Enterprise; 10/5/24 Hosparus Health has been ranked fourth in the nation for Overall Quality among the 50 largest hospices, according to a study published in the American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine. This ranking was determined based on key metrics: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems caregiver survey scores, employee satisfaction ratings from Glassdoor and sentiment scores from Google reviews. David W. Cook, president and CEO of Hosparus Health, expressed his pride in the organization’s staff. “Your care, your compassion, it’s those on the front line of our care,” Cook said. “It’s thrilling to see the recognition of what you do here celebrated nationally.” Since 1978, Hosparus Health has been at the forefront of hospice and palliative care services, caring for thousands of patients across Kentucky and Indiana, the release said. Today, the nonprofit organization, which has offices in Elizabethtown, continues to provide expert care and holistic support to more than 14,000 patients and families annually, ensuring that each individual receives compassionate, high-quality care during life’s most challenging times.