Literature Review

Home health benefit will become a 'skeleton' if Medicare payment adjustments continue, industry leader cautionsHome Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 1/23/24... The 2024 final home health payment rule included a 0.8% aggregate payment increase and a permanent prospective adjustment of -2.890%, plus dozens of other notable changes to home health care. ... With these cuts, NAHC [National Association for Home Care & Hospice] has estimated that 48% of all home health agencies will have overall negative margins in 2024.

New program to provide emergency funding to rural hospitalsCapitol Beat, by Dave Williams; 1/17/24A nonprofit health-care organization announced plans ... to help financially struggling rural hospitals in Georgia in danger of closing. Ohio-based CareSource will contribute $5 million in emergency funding to hospitals and hospital-owned nursing homes in rural communities suffering critical cash deficits. Working in partnership with Cumming-based HomeTown Health, which represents rural hospitals across Georgia, the CareSource Rural Access Advancement Program will provide bridge loans to be repaid and reinvested into the program once the recipient has stabilized. Since 2010, nine rural hospitals have closed in Georgia, third-most in the nation.

A guide to paying for hospice care at homeMediaFeed.org, by Claire Samuels; 1/23/24 According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which sets benchmarks for hospice care costs based on the payments they make to providers, here’s what two types of in-home hospice care will cost in 2024’s fiscal year ... [Additional descriptions include insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, VA health care, private health insurance.]

StateServ announces acquisition of Delta Care RxPR Newswire; 1/22/2024StateServ, a leading provider of durable medical equipment ("DME") benefit management solutions to the post-acute care market in the United States, has completed its acquisition of Delta Care Rx ("Delta Care"), a national pharmaceutical care provider. Delta Care offers integrated pharmacy benefit management, mail order prescription, sterile/non-sterile compounding, and clinical pharmacist consulting to the hospice and palliative care markets. ... The unique combination forms a leading care-at-home data, technology, and service platform and the industry's first scaled DME and pharmacy solution.

New dementia-focused payment model emphasizes caregiver supportHospice News, by Holly Vossel; 1/18/23Without family caregivers, most hospice and palliative care patients would be unable to receive care in the home. Now, some emerging payment models are including caregiver support as a key component. 

Have you been overcharged for prescription drugs? We want to hear from you. - The New York TimesThe New York Times, by Reed Abelson and Rebecca Robbins; 1/9/24Most prescriptions in the United States are handled by one of three companies: CVS Caremark, Express Scripts or Optum Rx. These pharmacy benefit managers serve as middlemen between the drug companies that make the medications and the insurance plans that pay for your prescriptions. These relationships have been in the news because of the high cost of prescription drugs. We want to hear about your experiences with these companies, including whether your medications were covered and how much you paid for them. We’re also interested in hearing from pharmacists and doctors about their experiences and those of their patients.

2024 Hospice News outlook survey and reportHospice News; 1/9/24From rising industry challenges to the latest technology investments, participants of this year’s Hospice Outlook Survey shared their take on the industry’s obstacles and growth opportunities in the year ahead. Hospice News is pleased to share these survey results, revealing how providers are:

Cap rates increase by 74 basis points across all segments of senior living and careMcKnights Senior Living, by Kathleen Steele Gaivin, 1/3/24The average senior housing and care capitalization rate across all segments increased by 74 basis points between April and October, according to results of the 13th edition of CBRE’s US Senior Housing & Care Investor Survey for the second half of 2023. An April survey had found that cap rates had increased for all sectors but skilled nursing. The commercial real estate services and investment company sought feedback from senior housing investors, developers, lenders and brokers throughout the United States. The survey was conducted in October, and results were released in December.

Investigating Medicare hospice overpaymentsHospice News, by Jim Parker; 1/2/24As auditing activity by regulators continues to spike, hospices need to know how to conduct internal investigations to identify any potential improper payments.

Continuum Of CareTallahassee Magazine, by Steve Bornhoft; 12/31/23Leaders seek seamless approach to services. In the United States, health services are delivered based on what Mark O’Bryant sees as a “reverse model.” Some might even call it a perverse model.

Pohai Malama Adult Residential Care Home hosts open houseHawaii Tribune-Herald (Hilo, HI)December 25, 2023Hilo, HI—After closing its doors to inpatient services last year, Pohai Malama will be reopening as an adult residential care home beginning next year. Hawaii Care Choices, formerly Hospice of Hilo, earlier this month announced the opening of the Pohai Malama Adult Residential Care Home to a room full of board members, supporters and community leaders. The former 12-bed hospice and palliative care inpatient facility, located at 590 Kapiolani St. in Hilo, was closed in November 2022 after operating for 10 years due to changing preferences from patients, many who preferred to be treated in their homes. 

Hospice, Home Health Providers ‘Squeezing Turnips’ Competing for Clinical StaffHospice NewsDecember 20, 2023Hospice and home health care providers’ recruitment and retention strategies have narrowed their focus on workers’ key priorities, with organizational culture among the heaviest hitters on their lists. Amid workforce shortages, hospice and home health providers are often at a disadvantage when it comes to competing with other health care organizations that can have greater financial resources, according to Bill English, president and CEO of Accurate Home Care.