Study: Increased Hospice Services Lead to Decreased Hospitalizations

According to a new report, increasing hospice services at nursing homes can reduce hospital admissions among all residents, including those not enrolled in hospice.

The researchers found that for every 10 percent increase in hospice expansion at a facility, the risk of hospitalization decreased 5.1 percent for non-hospice residents and 4.8 percent for residents enrolled in hospice.

According to the study's authors, their findings "shed light on nursing home end-of-life care delivery, collaboration among providers and cost benefit analysis of hospice care."

To learn more, click here.

CMS: Physicans Must Meet with Those Seeking Hospice, Home Health Certification

CMS has begun to implement a new law that requires physicians to meet face-to-face with individuals who are seeking to become certified for Medicare home health and hospice services. The law, part of the Affordable Care Act, technically went into effect on January 1, but CMS granted struggling agencies more time to adjust to adjust to the new requirements.

Physicians who make certification decisions are now required to provide documentation that states they met with the patient in person. For home health, this must happen within 90 days before the start of care or 30 days after the start of care. Hospice physicians or nurse practitioners must meet with a hospice patient prior to the patient's 180-days recertification and for each subsequent recertification. This must happen no more than 30 days prior to the start of the hospice patient's third benefit period.

To learn more, click here.

CDC: Many Hospices Offer Alternative Therapies

A new study from the CDC found that almost half of US hospices offer some form of alternative therapy, such as massages or pet therapy, that don't fall under the rubric of standard care.

According to the study, approximately 42% percent of hospices offer alternative therapies. Of those that offer alternative therapies:

• 72 percent offer massages
• 69 percent provide group therapy
• 62 percent offer music therapy

While these therapies aren't typically covered by insurance, the CDC points out that they can significantly contribute a resident's quality of life, soothe anxiety and improve mood.

To learn more, click here.

CMS Seeks to Clarify Roles of Hospice, LTC Providers

CMS is seeking to revise the requirements that a facility would have to meet in order to participate as a skilled nursing facility in the Medicare program, or as a nursing facility in the Medicaid program. The goal of the proposed changes is to ensure that SNFs and NFs have a written agreement in place that would outline roles and responsibilities in the event that the facility chose to arrange for hospice care from a Medicare-certified hospice provider.

In the proposed rule, CMS stated that, "We believe there is a lack of clear direction regarding the responsibilities of providers in caring for LTC facility residents who receive hospice care from a Medicare certified hospice provider, which could result in duplicative or missing services."

To view the proposed rule, click here.