Providers, patients would benefit from hospice telehealth extension, doc offers

Providers, patients would benefit from hospice telehealth extension, doc offers 
McKnights Senior Living; by Rachael Zimlich; 7/31/24 
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered many changes in healthcare, and not all were bad. In the years since the coronavirus forced worldwide lockdowns and limited access to care, the healthcare industry increasingly has embraced measures such as remote care and telehealth. One surprising area that has benefitted from those changes is hospice care. Hospice care by telehealth provides an obvious convenience for patients, but [Sean Oser, MD, MPH] shared his surprise at how much the increased frequency and ease of visits — plus better insight into the patient’s home environment —could improve his own experience as the provider. ... The latest extension of rules to allow hospice provided via telehealth to be paid through Medicare will end in December. ... Representatives called out the need to extend the hospital-at-home waiver, which is set to expire at the end of 2024.