The road ahead: 2 pressures framing the future of hospice care

The road ahead: 2 pressures framing the future of hospice care 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/1/24 
The workforce shortage and value-based care will shape the future of hospice, according to some providers. The health care reimbursement environment is moving towards significant change. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has signaled its intention to align every Medicare beneficiary with a value-based payment system by 2030. To keep pace, hospice providers must start preparing now, according to Phil Ward, president and CEO of Community Hospice of Northeast Florida. We’re implementing quality movement projects now. So that when these changes come we’re not taken by surprise,” Ward said at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) Annual Leadership Conference. ... The second major force that could mold the industry’s future is the staffing shortage, Leigh Anderson, medical director for Our Hospice of Indiana, said during the NHPCO conference. This includes issues like turnover, nurse-to-patient ratios and health care worker burnout, she said.