CMS Affirms Value of the Medicare Hospice Benefit’s Unique, Holistic Care
CMS is to be recognized for taking action to establishing chaplaincy codes along with other core services so that hospice claims data on spiritual care can be collected.
At the Crossroads of Hope and Truth
Each of us gets one life, and every life contains its own death. Engage with that fuller picture, wield hope carefully, and then, from everything this hospice doctor has seen, you will be OK, made whole by the time death rolls around, rather than pulled apart by it.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
What’s Behind the M&A Spree in the Hospice Industry
While the top-level view of the growth in the hospice industry at 20-plus percent is impressive, it’s worth looking at a few prominent examples to gain further insight into this accelerating trend.
VCU Health, BAYADA launch home care, hospice joint venture
The Virginia-based health system is teaming up with BAYADA Home Health Care to create a new company providing home-based and hospice care. BAYADA will oversee the day-to-day operations of the company, while VCU Health will collaborate on overall quality and safety.
Humana purchases remaining 60% stake in Kindred at Home for $5.7B
After initially purchasing a 40% stake in Kindred at Home for $2.4 billion in 2018, Humana is now fully acquiring the home health and hospice provider for an additional $5.7 billion. The provider will transition to Humana's payer-agnostic healthcare services brand CenterWell.
OIG report lists HHS’ top 10 challenges
Curbing the opioid epidemic, improving care for vulnerable populations and keeping HHS data safe from cybersecurity threats are all issues outlined in the 48-page report.
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A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
Can “pre-hospice” programs support the push towards value-based care?
More doctors, hospitals, and insurers are starting to see the value of home-based palliative care and are figuring out how to pay for it, said Kathleen Kerr, a health care consultant who researches palliative care.
Why unsexy healthcare startups are my favorites
Download MedCity’s Startup Index for November I hate it when people call ideas or businesses “sexy.” People are sexy, ideas and inanimate objects are not. When I hear a person use that term to describe a startup company, I think, “Shallow. Short attention span. Not interested in solving real problems.” A weak idea delivered via […]
These 3 entrepreneurs are working on the hardest problem in healthcare – dying
I always say that I have the best job: I get to talk to smart people doing really interesting work. I have met dozens of entrepreneurs this year. There is amazing work going on around the country with payment reform, price transparency, nanorobots, incredibly early detection of cancer and sensors that can measure any biometric […]
Startup Konnact Bloom looks to innovate within hospice
Hospice and home health might not always be the first areas of healthcare that conjure up technological disruption, but Konnact Bloom, a Portland-based startup, is looking to change that notion with its mobile EMR. The company, founded in 2012, was recently awarded a $1 million innovation grant from the Oregon State Coordinated Care Organization to […]
Maximize Revenue and Patient Care with Strategic Weight Loss Management
We will highlight Build My Health's revenue practice management tools, which could help physician practices add up to $250,000 to their practices.
New national hospice database takes messy federal data and makes it beautiful and useful
The Washington Post just published the latest installment in its “The Business of Dying” series. The story about frustrating experiences with hospice care is interesting (and heartbreaking), but the really cool part is the searchable database of hospice providers. Using Medicare data that the government has yet to publish in a form that consumers can […]
Atul Gawande discusses new book, compassionate end-of-life care on the Daily Show
The ever-prolific Atul Gawande chatted it up last night with Jon Stewart on the Daily Show, promoting his latest book, “Being Mortal.” The two discussed end-of-life care – and how patients and physicians should temper their pursuit of “doing whatever they can” in favor of living out life in a more meaningful way. For instance, Gawande noted that at […]
Dr Emanuel’s death wish harms rather than helps with end-of-life issues
You know the story on US healthcare and the elderly: Our current default is an American tragedy. It’s devoid of truth and candor; it’s inhumane and it’s wasteful. Recent gains in longevity have come by extending the period of disability right before death. Aggressive care treatment is often hoisted onto the frail because caregivers lack […]
Hospice program uses drug testing to get the right pain management plan for patients
A lot of the discussion around personalized medicine focuses on surviving cancer or other scary illnesses. In my experience, people need as much help with dying as they do with surviving. Any change – more hospice programs, better pain management, more informed patients, more honest doctors – that can make it easier for elderly or […]
Could hospice be next wave in healthcare consolidation?
The pace of consolidation in healthcare is well documented, with hospital systems in particular being prime merger or acquisition targets as pressure mounts from reduced Medicare reimbursements, but another side of healthcare could be next – hospice providers. Facing similar pressures from the ACA like all providers, the hospice industry is also facing cuts from […]