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All posts tagged with “Hospice Provider News | Operations News | Financial.”
New research shows earlier hospice election could save Medicare over $1 billion annually
04/24/26 at 03:00 AMNew research shows earlier hospice election could save Medicare over $1 billion annually National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA; Press Release; 4/23/26 A new analysis commissioned by the Research Institute for Home Care (the Institute) reveals that if Medicare beneficiaries elected hospice care just five days earlier, the program could save between $1.19 billion and $1.5 billion annually. The analysis, conducted by ATI Advisory, demonstrates how modest, clinically appropriate changes in hospice timing could generate significant Medicare savings while improving patient outcomes. These findings are particularly relevant as Medicare spending on hospice services increases by nearly 10% annually, and overall enrollment of Medicare beneficiaries using hospice continues to grow.
Physician pay gaps by gender, race
04/21/26 at 03:00 AMPhysician pay gaps by gender, race Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 4/16/26 Gender pay gaps continue to widen between male and female physicians, and physicians by race, Medscape’s Physician Compensation report found. ... The survey found that the gender pay gap has widened since 2023, going from men making $91,000 more per year than women to $102,000 more per year in 2025. This means men make about 31% per year more than women physicians. ... There are also substantial pay gaps based on race. White physicians make about $8,000 more than Asian Americans, the next highest paid group and $49,000 more than Black physicians, the lowest paid group.
Hospices to face increased scrutiny under new scoring system
04/20/26 at 01:00 AMHospices to face increased scrutiny under new scoring system Harris Beach Murtha Attorneys at Law; by Glenn M. Jones and Roy W. Breitenbach; 4/15/26 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans a new hospice scoring system in fiscal year 2027 . ... CMS announced the service and spending variation index (SSVI) is part of its ongoing efforts to combat fraud and strengthen program integrity. CMS said the system will increase transparency for families, ensure proper care, protect beneficiaries and support providers delivering quality end-of-life care. Details of the proposed rule can be found on the Federal Register. The agency has also published a fact sheet on the proposed rule. The SSVI score will be based on a variety of metrics CMS gathers from hospice claims, including:
Hospice fraud: the $530m surge and the new era of “zero tolerance”
04/17/26 at 01:00 AMHospice fraud: the $530m surge and the new era of “zero tolerance”Lund Person & Associates Hospice Consulting; by Judi Lund Person; 4/16/26 The landscape for hospice care in the United States has shifted dramatically. As of April 15, 2026, federal and state enforcement data signals a pivotal moment: the “light-touch” era is officially over. With over $530 million in alleged losses tracked in the last 12 months, providers are now under the most intense scrutiny in the history of the Medicare hospice benefit.
Nonprofit granted property tax exemption
04/16/26 at 03:00 AMNonprofit granted property tax exemption SWVA Today / Richlands News-Press, Richlands, VA; by Jim Talbert; 4/13/26 Legacy Hospice and Palliative Care will not pay property taxes, the Board of Supervisors unanimously decided following a public hearing at its Apr. 7 meeting. Several citizens spoke in support of the move, which will save the organization about $7,094 annually. ... A nonprofit serving the counties of Tazewell, Bland, Dickenson, Buchanan, and Russell, Legacy [Viriginia] was granted a tax exemption for its recently acquired property in Cedar Bluff on the basis of providing a "benevolent service" to Tazewell County. Previously, Legacy had rented a building. At the meeting, citizens provided personal testimonies of their experiences with Legacy.
Accreditation: moving forward during the moratorium
04/15/26 at 03:00 AMAccreditation: moving forward during the moratorium HME News - Business News for Home Medical Equipment Providers; by Sandra Canally; 4/13/26 ... Hospice contracts: Hospice providers are required to contract only with accredited DMEPOS suppliers to equip terminally ill patients whether at the hospice facility, in a nursing home or at home. The supply opportunities closely mirror those in skilled nursing, with enteral nutrition, mobility aids and respiratory equipment all in demand. Hospice covers 100% of DME costs related to the terminal illness. [To DME companies:] Invoice the hospice organization directly, and they pay you. Medicare stays out of the transaction entirely.
U.S. AI boom could cause health care costs to soar without changes to payment policy
04/09/26 at 03:00 AMU.S. AI boom could cause health care costs to soar without changes to payment policy Penn LDI - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; by Julia Hinckley, JD; 4/8/26 ... AI is already affecting health care delivery, and the choices policymakers make about payment will define its future trajectory, says LDI Senior Fellow Amol Navathe. AI is already more scalable and varied in its actions than human services. But without policies that create financial incentives to improve care, we risk driving up costs without improved outcomes or stifling innovation, writes Navathe in a recent perspective piece in Health Affairs.
Asbury Hospice House breaks ground on expansion in Hattiesburg
04/09/26 at 03:00 AMAsbury Hospice House breaks ground on expansion in Hattiesburg WDAM-TV 7, Hattiesburg, MS; by Delaney Dukes; 4/1/26 The Forrest Health Foundation broke ground Wednesday afternoon on an expansion at the Asbury Hospice House that will add new spaces designed for comfort and connection. ... The expansion includes larger family areas, a children’s activity space, a larger on-site pharmacy and an outdoor pavilion. ... The Forrest Health Foundation raised more than $3 million to support the expansion.
LACo Board presses for stepped-up enforcement of hospice, home care fraud
04/09/26 at 03:00 AMLACo Board presses for stepped-up enforcement of hospice, home care fraud MyNewsLA.com; by Contributing Editor; 4/7/26 The county Board of Supervisors directed its staff Tuesday to develop recommendations aimed at improving coordination with other agencies to crack down on home health and hospice fraud. “Fraud in home health and hospice care is not just a financial crime — it is a direct threat to the health and safety of some of our most vulnerable residents,” Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath said in a statement after the board’s unanimous vote.
Finding rare agreement on fixing the health care affordability crisis
04/08/26 at 03:00 AMFinding rare agreement on fixing the health care affordability crisisPenn LDI - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; by Hoag Levins; 4/7/26 In a rare display of bipartisan alignment, former Obama administration advisor Ezekiel Emanuel and Trump policy architect Brian Blase declared that the U.S. health care system is being choked by “perverse incentives” and monopolistic practices. ...
CHS boosts performance-based exec pay
04/08/26 at 03:00 AMCHS boosts performance-based exec pay Becker's Hospital Review; by Alan Condon; 4/6/26 Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems is doubling down on performance-based compensation for its top executives, tying the majority of pay to financial and operational results, according to a proxy report filed April 2 with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Proposed Rule: FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements. CMS-1851-P Display
04/07/26 at 02:00 AMProposed Rule: FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements. CMS-1851-P DisplayRegulations.gov - An official website of the United States Government | CMS; 4/6/26 This proposed rule would update the hospice wage index, payment rates, and aggregate cap for Fiscal Year 2027; include an analysis of Medicare non-hospice spending, and proposes requirements that hospices provide the hospice election statement addendum to all Medicare beneficiaries. Additionally, this rule proposes conforming regulation text changes to discharge from hospice care regulations; regulation text changes to the face-to-face encounter regulations; and includes RFI on community palliative care services; hospice specific wage index construction; and the overlap between hospice and medical aid in dying. Finally, this rule proposes changes to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program. In commenting, please refer to file code. CMS-1851-P.
Hyder Family Hospice House to close. Strafford County leader: 'We're broke'
04/06/26 at 03:00 AMHyder Family Hospice House to close. Strafford County leader: 'We're broke' Seacoastonline, Dover, NH; by Karen Dandurant; 4/2/26 Hyder Family Hospice House will close within a few weeks, Strafford County officials announced April 2, stating the decision reflects dire county finances. "We are not happy about it, but we are out of options," said County Commission Chair George Maglaras. "... We will try to find a way, maybe by renovating a wing at Riverside (Rest Home) that was closed during COVID, to find room for the few patients we currently have. This is very personal to me. We fought hard to keep this on county land. Closing this goes against every fiber of my being."
National Alliance for Care at Home Responds to the FY 2027 Hospice Proposed Rule
04/06/26 at 02:00 AMNational Alliance for Care at Home Responds to the FY 2027 Hospice Proposed Rule National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA; Press Release; 4/2/26 ... The proposed 2.4% payment update – largely prescribed by law – will still result in challenges for providers delivering care. Cost pressures continue to mount from factors like inflation, workforce shortages, and rising expenses for supplies and services. While the Alliance appreciates that CMS is recognizing hospice providers’ difficult operating environment, this update – after several years of inadequate payment adjustments – will still leave difficulties for providers delivering this vital benefit to the patients and families who depend on it. The Alliance also notes several proposals aimed at increasing oversight and transparency, ...
Hospice groups: 2.4% proposed pay raise threatens care delivery
04/06/26 at 01:00 AMHospice groups: 2.4% proposed pay raise threatens care delivery Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/3/26 Two of the nation’s largest hospice trade organizations decried a proposed 2.4% hospice base rate increase as inadequate in today’s financial climate. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday issued its proposed payment rule for hospices in 2027 containing a 2.4% payment increase. If finalized, this would result in a $785 million payment boost from Fiscal Year 2026. The amount of the proposed pay raise puts the sustainability of hospice care in jeopardy, according to Linda Couch, senior vice president for policy at LeadingAge.
Live Oak Bank $300k grant supports Lower Cape Fear LifeCare Hospice nurses, addresses growing care shortage in North Carolina
04/01/26 at 02:00 AMLive Oak Bank grant supports Lower Cape Fear LifeCare Hospice nurses, addresses growing care shortage in North Carolina Business Insider, Wilmington, NC; Press Release; 3/31/26 Live Oak Bank is highlighting the impact of a $300,000 grant to the Lower Cape Fear LifeCare Scholars program. LifeCare Scholars is designed to recruit, train, and retain registered nurses in hospice and palliative care, strengthening the essential healthcare workforce across southeastern North Carolina. LifeCare Scholars offers a six-month residency to new graduate nurses, blending classroom learning, mentorship, and hands-on clinical experience to help registered nurses transition into hospice and palliative care at no cost to participants. [Launched in 2021, read more for "Proven Impact an Measurable Outcomes"]
Mass AI job replacement? Not in healthcare, CIOs say
03/27/26 at 03:00 AMMass AI job replacement? Not in healthcare, CIOs say Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 3/18/26 While some doomsayers predict that AI will replace human workers en masse, health system CIOs told Becker’s that healthcare, so reliant on the human touch, is safe. But that doesn’t mean duties won’t change dramatically. In late February, an investment analyst scenario outlining economic cataclysm caused by AI momentarily jolted the stock market. The authors, from Citrini Research, imagined white-collar job openings “collapsing” in late 2026, with blue-collar hiring staying “relatively stable.” While healthcare may be best described as “gray-collar,” the sector is still the nation’s largest employer, driving much of the country’s job growth over the past few decades. Could AI change that equation? ...
The limits of efficiency in home health’s cost-cutting era
03/27/26 at 03:00 AMThe limits of efficiency in home health’s cost-cutting era Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 3/24/26With reimbursement pressures, rising inflation and rampant workforce shortages, efficiency has become a top priority for many home-based care providers. But efficiency initiatives carry certain risks if not executed with precision. The home-based care industry must retain a long-range view when looking to improve efficiency, according to Zac Long, CEO of Well Care Health, a family-owned and operated home health and hospice provider. ... “What AI does is just basically pour gasoline on an existing process,” Long said. “So if that process isn’t 100% buttoned up and compliant, it can create a lot of risk when you pour gas on it. ..."
Medicare plan switching and hospice care among decedents with advanced cancer
03/26/26 at 03:00 AMMedicare plan switching and hospice care among decedents with advanced cancer JAMA Network Open; by Xin Hu, Changchuan Jiang, Youngmin Kwon, Fangli Geng, Qinjin Fan, Kewei Sylvia Shi, Zhiyuan Zheng, Jingxuan Zhao, Joan L Warren, K Robin Yabroff, Xuesong Han; 3/2/16Importance: Hospice ... is an excluded benefit under Medicare Advantage (MA), with coverage instead provided by traditional Medicare (TM). With growing MA penetration, more beneficiaries also switch between MA and TM for financial protection and physician access considerations, although less is known about how different Medicare programs and plan switching behaviors affect EOL care for patients with advanced cancers.Conclusions and relevance: In this cohort study of Medicare decedents with advanced cancers, continuous MA enrollees were most likely to receive hospice at home, while those who switched from MA to TM more frequently received hospice care in nursing homes. Plan switching near the EOL may reflect access barriers, highlighting the importance of addressing care coordination to improve EOL care.
21 hospitals, health systems raising workers’ pay
03/26/26 at 03:00 AM21 hospitals, health systems raising workers’ payBecker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 3/24/26 Since December 2025, the following hospitals and health systems have said they plan to raise their workers’ pay. ... This webpage was created Jan. 9 and is updated regularly. It was last updated March 24.
Medicare Advantage ‘working’ for seniors, but not for taxpayers, experts say: Penn LDI panel cites costs for enrollees alongside billions in overpayments and systemic gaming
03/26/26 at 03:00 AMMedicare Advantage ‘working’ for seniors, but not for taxpayers, experts say: Penn LDI panel cites costs for enrollees alongside billions in overpayments and systemic gaming Penn LDI - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; by Hoag Levins; 3/23/26 In response to the question “Is Medicare Advantage Working?” posed in a University of Pennsylvania panel discussion, two top experts concurred that the program is “working” in one narrow but powerful sense: It delivers more appealing coverage to many seniors, especially those with modest incomes. But it is not “working” in the sense originally promised by policymakers, because it is not saving public money and has encouraged a range of payment distortions, coding games, marketing excesses, and utilization-management conflicts.
Larchmont woman sentenced to nearly 3 years in federal prison for her role in hospice and diagnostic testing fraud that conned Medicare
03/25/26 at 02:00 AMLarchmont woman sentenced to nearly 3 years in federal prison for her role in hospice and diagnostic testing fraud that conned Medicare United States Attorney's Office - Central District of California, Los Angeles, CA; Press Release; 3/24/26 A woman from the Larchmont area of Los Angeles was sentenced today to 35 months in federal prison for defrauding Medicare out of more than $14 million by submitting fraudulent claims for hospice care and diagnostic testing services that were either unnecessary or not provided at all. Sophia Shaklian, 38, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr., who also ordered her to pay $14,103,043 in restitution. Shaklian pleaded guilty in November 2025 to one count of health care fraud.
AMGA calls for total-cost-of-care model for end-of-life care
03/23/26 at 01:00 AMAMGA calls for total-cost-of-care model for end-of-life care Healthcare Innovation; by David Raths; 3/20/26 Among the recommendations of a value-based care task force of the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) is that CMS should establish a total-cost-of-care model for end-of-life care. AMGA is a trade association representing multispecialty medical groups and integrated systems of care. More than 175,000 physicians practice in its member organizations. Editor's Note: Download the AMGA's 44-page Task Force Recommendations. It details these six foundational pillars they identified:
MedPAC debates hospice payment updates via outlier, add-on payments
03/19/26 at 03:00 AMMedPAC debates hospice payment updates via outlier, add-on payments Inside Health Policy; by Sigi Ris; 3/17/26 When it comes to addressing hospice provider’s high-cost treatments for patients with end-stage renal disease or cancer, Congress’ Medicare advisors seemed to support updating the hospice payment system with outlier payments rather than an add-on payment and commissioners debated the merits of creating a transitional care model for those patients that would reduce barriers to these support services. [Full access requires subscription, with option for 30 days free access.]