Updates & News

Bill in Congress Would Require Hospice Education After Hospital Discharge

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 16:58:00 GMT

Legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that aims to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act and mandate that hospitals provide information on available hospice programs to certain individuals upon discharge. (H.R. 2437) was introduced into the house on March 27th by Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN) and has been referred to the House Ways and Means committee.

Currently, hospitals are not required to perform this service for patients being discharged but are encouraged to do so.

Why it Matters:

By requiring hospitals to educate patients about hospice, the bill aims to improve access to this vital care option for those who need it.

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National Alliance for Care at Home (fka NAHC) (*Member Login may be required)

MedPAC Recommends Home Health Payment Rate Cut, Hospice Update Freeze

Sat, 13 Jan 2024 01:08:00 GMT

This article is courtesy of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) www.nahc.org *NAHC Login Required.

MedPAC unanimously voted Thursday, January 11, 2024, to recommend cutting the home health base payment rate by 7% in CY2025 and freezing the hospice update to 2024 Medicare base payment rates for FY2025.

Significant cuts in spending will result if the MedPac recommendations are accepted by Congress. Home health spending would fall between $750 million and $2 billion in one year and $5 billion to $10 billion over five years. Spending on hospice would fall from $250 million to $750 million over a year and between $1 billion and $5 billion over five years, if the recommendation to freeze hospice rates in FY 2025 are enacted.

Read More on this vitally important issue. (*NAHC Login Required.)

AHPCO and our national partner NAHC are passionate about this important issue and will continue to advocate forcefully for spending and payment rates that ensure access to quality home health and hospice care for all who need and want it.

Not yet a Member of AHPCO? Join Today! and stay informed about this and other important issues through our Regulatory Alerts and Hospice Updates as they become available.

COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) Transitioning on May 11, 2023

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 17:03:00 GMT

On January 30, 2023, President Joe R. Biden informed the United States Congress that he will end the COVID-19 public health emergencies (PHE) on May 11, 2023 and it will be downgraded from a pandemic to an endemic public health threat to be managed through the normal actions of the federal government....Read More*

*NAHC Login Required.

The gradual ending of the PHE and transition will provide time for providers to prepare. More details on the expected impact to providers will be provided to AAHC Members through our Regulatory Alerts and Home Care Updates as they become available.

Not yet a Member of AHPCO? Join Today!

NHPCO Meets with CMS Hospice Payment Policy Staff

Fri, 11 Jul 2014 22:22:31 GMT

The Arizona Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is a member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and has reprinted this article with permission.

On Monday June 2, NHPCO Health Policy leadership staff met with Laurence Wilson, Director of the CMS Chronic Care Policy Group, and his staff regarding hospice payment policy issues. Among the issues discussed were hospice payment reform, a review of the data points published in the FY2015 Hospice Wage Index proposed rule, as well as the challenging implementation issues with Part D and hospice. CMS staff invited additional and ongoing dialogue on issues discussed and follow up has already begun.