Literature Review

Palliative Care News’ Top 5 Stories of 2023Palliative Care NewsDecember 6, 2023A look back at Palliative Care News’ five most-read stories this year paints a picture of trends shaping the serious illness care space. Securing reimbursement—and the promise of value-based contracts—continues to be top of mind for many palliative care providers as they look ahead to 2024. Operators have their eyes on the ever-shifting payment landscape and the headwinds and opportunities that come with it. Meanwhile, more providers are increasingly working to address health disparities among underserved populations in various settings, including prisons and rural areas, among others. But in the midst of this, workforce shortages and clinical capacity issues remain obstacles to palliative care access. The following are the most-read Palliative Care News articles of 2023.

CVS to start rebranding its healthcare services segment this yearMcKnight’s Home Care DailyDecember 6, 2023CVS disclosed Tuesday that it will begin to roll out its newly rebranded healthcare services segment this month. The new brand, called CVS Healthspire, includes CVS’ suite of care delivery businesses: Caremark, Cordavis, Oak Street Health, MinuteClinic and the company’s home care entity Signify Health.  ... Evidence of the rebrand will soon be visible, according to the company; the five businesses within Healthspire will soon incorporate “Part of CVS Healthspire” to their assets.

Home Care Company Best of Care Acquires Barton’s AngelsHome Health Care NewsDecember 6, 2023The home care provider Best of Care is expanding its portfolio once again, this time on its 43rd anniversary. On Wednesday, the company announced that it had acquired Barton’s Angels, also a home care provider. ... “Barton’s Angels was attractive to us because of its reputation, its legacy, its leadership and the overlapping business they had in the form of shared contracts and referral sources,” Best of Care CEO Kevin Smith told Home Health Care News. ... Best of Care also works with both Medicaid and private-pay clients. Based in Quincy, Massachusetts, the company provides services via its 450 caregivers to over 1,500 clients across all of Massachusetts. ... For Best of Care, the goal is to be close to a one-stop shop for seniors navigating the aging process.

The Medicare Gold Rush Is Slowing DownWall Street JournalDecember 6, 2023The popularity of private Medicare plans has been a huge driver of profits for insurance companies in recent years. There are signs the gold rush isn’t quite what it once was. ... The most immediate red flag came from the industry leader, UnitedHealth. During an investor day last week, it predicted its Medicare Advantage enrollment would grow by 450,000 to 550,000 seniors in 2024. That translates to around 5% growth next year, a significant slowdown from the 11% it grew so far this year, according to TD Cowen analyst Gary Taylor. As UnitedHealth executives were presenting in New York, The Wall Street Journal reported that the second-largest Medicare plan provider, Humana, was in merger talks with Cigna. While Cigna’s interest in Humana surely attests to insurers’ continued desire to expand into the Medicare market, some investors took it as a sign that Humana isn’t so sure about the strength of the business going forward. 

Mary Washington Hospice’s Sixth Annual Light Up a Life Raises Over $34,000News ReleaseDecember 4, 2023Fredericksburg, VA—Mary Washington Hospice hosted its sixth annual Light Up a Life Illumination event on November 9, 2023. This special event allowed community members to purchase luminaries in their loved ones’ memory. Over 350 individuals were honored, and their names were read aloud by the hospice team during an intimate program in the Meditation Garden at Mary Washington Hospital. The proceeds from Light Up a Life benefit Mary Washington Hospice, Grief Support Services, and Mary Washington Hospital Auxiliary. 

Hospice of Santa Barbara’s Light Up a Life Ceremony Honors Lost Loved Ones During Holiday SeasonSanta Barbara (CA) NoozhawkDecember 6, 2023Montecito, CA—Hospice of Santa Barbara brought people together Wednesday evening for its 40th annual Light Up a Life ceremony in Montecito to honor loved ones who have passed away. Each year, Hospice of Santa Barbara holds this event in locations throughout the South Coast, where people can purchase paper stars to hang on the community Christmas tree and dedicate them to family or friends who have died. ... “One of the reasons we come here every season is because we want to be able to look around and know that we are not alone in our grief, in our love and care and remembrance of those we’ve lost,” the Rev. Julia Hamilton said. ... Hospice of Santa Barbara also has a Virtual Tree of Remembrancene where people can dedicate a digital star and upload photos and messages for their loved ones.

OIG Report - Louisiana Nursing Home Background ChecksPress Release 12/6/23.Louisiana should improve its oversight of nursing homes' compliance with requirements that prohibit employment of individuals with disqualifying background checks.

Circle of Life Hospice announces major donation for Hospice House ProjectKOLO-TV (Reno, NV)December 5, 2023Eno, NV—Circle of Life Hospice Foundation is excited to announce an individual has donated a house and additional land to the Hospice House Project. The plan for this project is to create a community-based social model for end-of-life care that is provided in a “home-away-from-home” environment for individuals who are unable to die in their own home. Resident care is provided by a combination of family members, volunteers and paid caregivers in collaboration with the many medical-hospice providers in the Reno area.

2023’s Most Impactful Hospice DealsHospice NewsDecember 5, 2023A rich mix of hospice merger and acquisition activity at the end of 2023 is fueling trends into next year. Hospice M&A activity has diverged from the frenzied pace set in recent years. The hospice space in the last five years has seen record-breaking multiples, a prevalence of private equity-backed platform transactions and large-scale assets up for grabs. This year saw a slow but significant start, with mainly smaller and fewer hospice transactions taking place. As valuations have come down, asset sizes have varied and the scope of buyers has pivoted. However, the hospice market also saw a number of multi-billion-dollar “mega-deals” involving payers that stand to reshape aspects of the industry. The forthcoming sale of Amedisys to Optum marks one of the most significant transactions in the hospice industry in terms of valuation and buyer trends.

Hospice awareness campaign launched to educate D.C. residents about care benefits

Insights on Exposing, Resolving Chronic Underfunding of Nursing HomesSkilled Nursing NewsDecember 5, 2023As nursing homes grapple with a tough economic and labor environment—which has forced closures and created access issues—patient and nursing home advocates underscored the emotional toll of care, calling upon the federal and state governments to do more to address new and emerging generational challenges to care. 

WVU Medicine Hospice hosts annual ‘Gift of Lights’ remembrance ceremonyWBOY-TV (Clarksburg, WV)December 5, 2023WVU Medicine Hospice held a Gift of Light service at United Hospital Center in Bridgeport Tuesday night. Names were read of the loved ones who were remembered this holiday season and family members were able to light a battery-operated candle in remembrance of their them and to celebrate their lives. The family members and caregivers in attendance were given Christmas tree ornaments to honor their loved one who has passed. A tree will also be lit in the hospice garden near the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center. Hospice officials said the service gives families a chance to get together and share memories and stories of their loved ones with others.

Execs—Retention program has lasting positive effect on turnover, culture for VITASMcKnight’s Home Care DailyDecember 5, 2023A successful retention program, which has since ended, has had an enduring impact on recruitment, retention and employee satisfaction at hospice provider VITAS, executives said Monday during an investor conference. “We got a lot of goodwill with the employees,” David Williams, chief financial officer of Chemed, VITAS’ parent company, said during the conference hosted by Bank of America. “It showed that we were responding to their needs. They were concerned they were overworked, that they were underappreciated. The program responded to those issues.”