Holland & Knight's 5 'New Norms' Reshaping Hospice Care
A Holland & Knight healthcare trend report outlines five new norms in hospice care, from rising demographic demand to demonstrating cost-of-care value, while providers confront Medicare integrity scrutiny and the CMS enrollment moratorium.
Key Facts
- Affected providers
- Hospice
Holland & Knight LLP's recently published Healthcare Trend Report examines how M&A activity, regulatory developments, and litigation trends are reshaping the hospice and home health landscape, with strong quality metrics and low care delivery costs seen as keys to survival, according to Hospice News.
The report outlines five new norms: rising demand from demographic shifts; demonstrating cost-of-care value to Medicare Advantage payers; expanding palliative care payment pathways, including Medicaid reimbursement; developing palliative care separately from hospice; and treating value-based care and technology as necessities.
More than 51% of Medicare deaths now occur on hospice, according to partner Jennifer Rangel, which increases pressure on providers to show total cost-of-care value to Medicare Advantage plans. Unlike hospice, palliative care can often be provided alongside curative treatments.
The report notes that CMS's six-month moratorium on new home health and hospice Medicare enrollment — set to expire November 13 — is restricting organic growth and making acquisitions of existing hospices the sole growth option during that period.
Rangel advised providers to implement and maintain a strong compliance program, continuously train staff on compliance matters, and maintain strong documentation supporting services provided. Medicare integrity scrutiny and the government's "wide net" were flagged as catching compliant providers as well.
Sources & References
Attribution: HHH Newsroom by KDG summarizes and analyzes publicly available source material. Interpretations in this article are not statements of law. Always verify against the linked primary document.