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A Racial Gap In Attitudes Toward Hospice Care

By Sarah Varney August 25, 2015 KFF Health News Original

Hospice use has been growing fast in the United States as more people choose to avoid futile, often painful medical treatments in favor of palliative care and dying at home surrounded by loved ones. But some African-Americans have long resisted the concept, and their suspicions remain deep-seated.

Schemes By Md., Pa. Providers Defrauded Medicaid Of Millions Of Dollars: Courts

June 3, 2016 Morning Briefing

A Maryland couple has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty by a jury of fraudulent D.C. Medicaid claims of more than $80 million. In Pennsylvania, a former hospice manager pleads guilty to false Medicare and Medicaid billing.

Medicare Overpaying For Hospice Services, Report Finds

April 4, 2016 Morning Briefing

An investigation by the inspector general’s office says the extra cost runs $260 million a year. Meanwhile, a new Medicare program to cut durable medical goods expenses is causing some problems in Montana.

Activists, Lawmakers Steer Anti-Abortion Conversation Toward Perinatal Hospice Care

April 18, 2016 Morning Briefing

Perinatal hospice care is a birth plan for a woman whose fetus will not survive long outside the womb. And anti-abortion groups see it as an alternative to those patients terminating the pregnancy after they are told of their baby’s diagnosis. Meanwhile, advocates are stepping up efforts to spread the word about misoprostol, a drug that allows women to self-induce an abortion, but it is raising concerns on both sides of the debate.

Medicare Proposes Payment Increases For Skilled-Nursing And Inpatient Rehab Facilities, Hospice Care

April 22, 2016 Morning Briefing

In other related news, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn, is backing legislation to alter the formula that determines how much Medicare reimburses hospitals.

Hospice Fraud Is Costing Medicare Millions Of Dollars

March 7, 2016 Morning Briefing

Federal officials prosecuted more than 60 cases just last year. Also, news outlets report on fraud cases in Illinois, Texas, Florida and Indiana.

Aid-In-Dying Advocacy Group Girds For Battles After California Victory

By Phil Galewitz November 18, 2015 KFF Health News Original

Compassion & Choices counts on human-interest stories to shape debate as 23 states weigh aid-in-dying bills this year.

Hospice Providers Push For Greater Access To Medicare’s Curative Services Experiment

March 16, 2016 Morning Briefing

In the demonstration program from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, patients can receive both palliative and curative care at select hospices, but advocates say the eligibility criteria should be looser. In other Medicare news, KHN reports on guidelines for end-of-life conversations that doctors can now bill.

Readers Ask About Concierge Medicine And Medicare; Insulin Costs And The Doughnut Hole

By Michelle Andrews September 8, 2015 KFF Health News Original

KHN consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers questions about Medicare beneficiaries’ costs associated with doctors who have concierge medicine practices, insulin pumps and respite care.

Medicare Costs Rise On Long Hospice Stays

February 19, 2016 Morning Briefing

Medicare’s hospice program was started for patients likely to die within 180 days, but thousands with dementia and other conditions have spent far more time. In related news, doctors say outpatient care is also boosting Medicare’s bills and the health industry faces challenges meeting quality requirements.

Trying To Save Medicare: CMS Innovation Center Experiments With New Practices

April 18, 2016 Morning Briefing

The Associated Press examines the group of doctors, lawyers, health policy experts and career federal employees charged with coming up with ways to save money and improve care in Medicare. Meanwhile, news outlets report on other Medicare developments including bundled payments, hospice use and fraud.

Hospitals, Health Systems Announce Sales, New Joint Ventures

April 6, 2016 Morning Briefing

Louisville-based Kindred Healthcare announced it will sell 12 long-term acute care hospitals, while LHC Group, a Louisiana company, announced a joint venture with two of Northern Arizona Healthcare’s home health agencies and a hospice. Changes are also afoot in Minnesota and Ohio.

Attention Shoppers: New Calif. Website Details Costs, Quality of Medical Procedures

By Barbara Feder Ostrov September 21, 2015 KFF Health News Original

Seeking to create smarter consumers, the California insurance department unveils a website showing wide variation in costs and quality of medical services across the state.

How One Home Health Agency Earned Five Stars

By Michael Tomsic, WFAE September 18, 2015 KFF Health News Original

In North Carolina, Brookdale Home Health Charlotte was one of just two agencies out of the state’s 172 to earn the maximum five stars from the federal government.

Medicare Pays For Spouses To Get Grief Counseling Through Hospice

By Michelle Andrews May 29, 2015 KFF Health News Original

But a new study of Medicare beneficiaries finds that hospice services had little impact on depression suffered by individuals after the death of their spouses.

Relatives More Likely To Rank End-Of-Life Care Excellent When Patient Was In Hospice, At Home

January 20, 2016 Morning Briefing

A new study in JAMA surveys family members of terminally ill cancer patients, and found that they were more likely to rate the care as excellent when the patient was not in an intensive care unit. Another study in the same journal examines how treatment of terminal patients in the United States compares to other countries.

Officials Weigh Options To Hold Down Medicare Costs For Hospice

By Susan Jaffe April 23, 2015 KFF Health News Original

Under Medicare’s hospice benefit, patients agree to forgo curative treatment, but they can continue to receive coverage for health problems not related to their terminal illness. Federal officials suspect some of those expenses should be covered by hospice.

A Matter Of Faith And Trust: Why African-Americans Don’t Use Hospice

By Sarah Varney May 5, 2015 KFF Health News Original

Even as end-of-life planning gains favor with more Americans, African-Americans, research shows, remain very skeptical of options like hospice and advance directives. The result can mean more aggressive, painful care at the end of life that prolongs suffering.

2015 Home Health Agencies Ratings: 1-Star And 1.5-Star Facilities

By Jordan Rau July 16, 2015 KFF Health News Original

KHN also lists the six home health agencies that received Medicare’s lowest rating of one star and the 195 agencies rated one and a half stars. These ratings, released July 2015, are based on performance from fall 2013 through last year.

Despite Gains In Advance Directives, Study Finds More Intensive End-Of-Life Cancer Care

By Michelle Andrews July 21, 2015 KFF Health News Original

A recent study in JAMA Oncology examined trends in advance care planning and found that though the use of durable powers of attorney increased, the number of people who received “all care possible” at the end of life went up.

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