Literature Review

How hospices can leverage palliative care to ‘stay relevant’ in value-based care Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 11/6/24 U.S. health care is moving steadily towards value-based reimbursement, and having a robust palliative care program can help hospices ensure they are not left behind. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is working to ensure that 100% of Medicare beneficiaries are aligned with a risk-based payment model by 2030. This can include Medicare Advantage (MA) and Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs. With hospice reimbursement confined to the traditional Medicare benefit, a palliative care program is a likely entry point for those providers to access value-based reimbursement, Sue Lynn Schramm, a partner of the hospice and palliative care consulting company Confidis LLC, said in a presentation at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Annual Leadership Conference. This may be even more the case now that the hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID), often called the Medicare Advantage Hospice Carve-In, is ending on Dec. 31, Schramm said.

Rabbi Benjamin Shalva brings comfort, music to hospice patients Baltimore Jewish Times; by Ellen Braunstein; 11/6/24 Jewish songs and prayers offer comfort to individuals nearing the end of their lives and their grieving families. That’s just one of the impromptu services offered by Rabbi Benjamin Shalva, a Jewish musician and chaplain at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Baltimore. He oversees the care and support for Jewish patients and families who come into hospice through Gilchrist, a nonprofit provider of serious illness and end-of-life care. He also manages rabbinic services. “We help guide families and patients on how to approach the end of life in a meaningful and Jewish way,” said Shalva, who joined Gilchrist two and a half years ago.  The 48-year-old Pikesville resident said he brings a guitar and the practice of meditation and mindfulness to patients and families. “It really provides a sphere of comfort and healing in a space that might otherwise be very difficult for folks,” Shalva said. 

It takes more than love to care for a loved one Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business; guest column by Jason Erskine, AARP; 11/5/24 Chances are, if you aren’t a family caregiver, you know someone who is. Every day, more than 820,000 Washingtonians help their parents, spouses, siblings, grandparents, neighbors and other loved ones to live independently at home – where they want to be. November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time to highlight the important work these folks do. But simply thanking them isn’t enough. ... AARP and United Way have teamed up to connect caregivers with trained, compassionate people in your community who can help you find AARP caregiving resources and more. It’s called 211, it’s a free service, and you can talk to specialists who can help you find local resources for caring for your loved one … and for yourself too. ... AARP Washington is here to help with information and resources to support and connect caregivers. Go to: aarp.org/caregiverswa.

Arden Home Health and Hospice partners with ADP to formally announce opening of Hattiesburg offices Accesswire; by Arden Home Health & Hospice; 11/4/24 Arden Home Health and Hospice is excited to announce the formal opening of its new corporate headquarters in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. This marks a key milestone in the company's growth and success. The celebration, held on Friday, November 1, 2024, featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony in partnership with the Area Development Partnership (ADP). Under the leadership of Founder and CEO Abb Payne, Arden has experienced tremendous growth, having doubled the size of its workforce in just 11 short months. Payne emphasized the importance of this expansion, particularly for South Mississippi: "The opening of our Hattiesburg headquarters is more than just a brick-and-mortar event; it symbolizes a year of incredible growth and success. Our family's goal has always been to keep jobs in South Mississippi, and this new office represents our commitment to this region."

Choice Health at Home announces new credit facilities and the strategic acquisition of Accentra Home Health and Hospice News Channel Nebraska Southeast; Press Release; 11/6/24 Choice Health at Home (“Choice”), a leading multi-state operator of home health, hospice, private duty, and rehabilitation services providing care throughout the Southwestern US, is proud to announce the company’s most recent acquisition and newly expanded credit facilities for the future growth of the organization. On the transaction front, Choice announced its acquisition of Accentra Home Health and Hospice (“Accentra”), a multi-agency home health and hospice organization in the state of Oklahoma. The merger of Accentra with Choice’s already significant existing Oklahoma home health and hospice agencies will dramatically strengthen the company’s presence in Oklahoma and provide the infrastructure for a long-term strategic plan to cover more than 90% of the state’s urban and rural geographies.

Statement from NPHI on US election results National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI); Press Release; 11/6/24On November 6th, the Associated Press declared that Donald Trump is the new president-elect of the United States. In response to this news, the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) issued the following statement from Tom Koutsoumpas, our CEO: "Following the election of President-Elect Donald Trump, the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) reiterates its dedication to advocating for high-quality, compassionate care for all patients and families facing serious illness. NPHI looks forward to collaborating with the incoming administration and new Congress to address critical needs in healthcare policy, expand support for advanced illness care, and work toward a stronger healthcare future for patients, families, and caregivers alike. ... [Click here to read the full statement.] ... At NPHI, we are committed to ensuring that every American has access to dignified, high-quality care. We will work with the new administration to protect and enhance the Medicare hospice benefit, expand access to high-quality care at home, and advance policy solutions that center on patient needs and community well-being."

Three local eateries join Dining Out program for Hospice Awareness Month Olean Times Herald, Allegany, NY; by Olean Times Herald Staff; 11/4/24 HomeCare & Hospice announces its Dining Out for Hospice program this month includes three local restaurants joining the effort to support compassionate end-of-life care in the region. Throughout Hospice Awareness Month, patrons at Hometown Bar & Grill, Chipotle and Charlie’s can enjoy a great meal and make a meaningful difference by contributing to HomeCare & Hospice. “We’re excited to team up with these wonderful restaurants to bring our community together for a week of giving,” said Melissa Sullivan, HomeCare & Hospice CEO. “Dine out, enjoy great food and have an opportunity to support families in need — one meal at a time.” 

Elections belong to the people. ~ Abraham Lincoln

How four partnerships are advancing cutting-edge cancer care Modern Healthcare; by Caroline Hudson; 11/4/24 Top cancer treatment organizations are leaning into partnerships to take care delivery to the next level. The National Cancer Institute estimates more than 2 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2024. Healthcare leaders say collaboration among technology companies, research institutes, academic medical centers and universities allows them to combine resources and develop cutting-edge treatments more quickly — potentially at a fraction of the cost of standalone projects. ... Here’s what executives say about how four partnerships are advancing cancer care and why collaboration made the most sense for their systems.

Hopeful for the hospice house Gillette News Record; by Jonathan Gallardo; 11/2/24 Last week, Campbell County Health and the Northeast Wyoming Community Health Foundation announced that they were working together to look at bringing back inpatient services to the Close to Home Hospice House. For many, I’m sure the announcement came as a surprise. The split between the two sides was so public and was drawn out over a couple of years. Bridges had seemingly been burned, never to be crossed again. But wouldn’t you know it, those bridges appear to be on the mend. In their announcements, CCH and the foundation both said they’ve been in talks about what it would take to reopen Close to Home. “Our primary focus is the well-being of our community, and we are committed to transparency as we engage in these preliminary discussions,” CCH said in a press release. 

Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Home Health Prospective Payment System Final Rule Fact Sheet (CMS-1803-F) CMS Newsroom; Final Rule Fact Sheet (CMS-1803-F); 11/1/24On November 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) final rule, which updates Medicare payment policies and rates for Home Health Agencies (HHAs). This rule also updates the intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) items and services’ payment rate for CY 2025 for Durable Medical Equipment (DME) suppliers. As described further below, CMS estimates that Medicare payments to HHAs in CY 2025 would increase in the aggregate by 0.5%, or $85 million, compared to CY 2024. [Click on the title's link for more information.]

Longer hospice stays among dementia patients save Medicare dollars Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 11/4/24 Hospice utilization has tripled among patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) during the past two decades. The trend has ignited concerns about these patients’ lengths of stay, as well as praise for hospices’ cost-savings potential. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers analyzed Medicare fee-for-service claims spanning between 1999 and 2019, including data on hospice billing, patient enrollment, hospitalizations, health costs and chronic condition indicators. Roughly 14.7% of ADRD patients utilized hospices services in 2019, nearly triple the 4.4% of patients who received this care in 1999, according to the research, which was published in the National Bureau of Economic Research. The research compared billing claims among nonprofit and for-profit providers to explore spending associated with longer hospice stays among dementia patients. ...