Hospice
10/31/2024
Review your past survey citations to prepare for the start of CMS’ hospice Special Focus Program (SFP), especially if your hospice agency has struggled to maintain regulatory compliance and high Star Ratings in the past three years.
10/31/2024
Explore how CMS will select hospices for participation in the Special Focus Program based on an algorithm that uses information from surveys and the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP).
10/10/2024
Begin preparing now for new hospice quality reporting requirements by assessing whether increased staffing and changes in visits will be needed with the HOPE tool.
10/10/2024
A new bill introduced in Congress is seeking to make the most significant changes in Medicare’s hospice benefit since its inception in 1982.
08/29/2024
Stressing the importance of informed consent and eligibility requirements among hospice patients could help your agency better inform staff about the live discharge process and prevent avoidable revocations.
08/29/2024
Live discharges as a share of all discharges have increased in recent years.
08/22/2024
Emphasize the importance of upcoming changes to the CAHPS Hospice Survey and distribution process when educating staff. Providers could see significant improvements to response rates once these changes are in place.
07/18/2024
Many hospice providers are struggling to find volunteers and maintain Medicare compliance after the pandemic. Providers that strengthen training programs and consider participant and patient needs and interests could see an increase in long-term volunteers.
06/13/2024
Hospice providers are glad there’s a planned payment increase for fiscal year 2025, but the 2.6% pitched in the CMS hospice proposed rule is not enough to cover climbing operational costs. 
05/02/2024
Hospice providers have a little more time to make sure that physicians certifying hospice services have either enrolled in Medicare or proactively opted out, as CMS has delayed this new requirement until June 3.

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