Author: Merikokeb Wondafrash
The Alliance Applauds Gerald’s Law Passing Through Congress
The Alliance Supports Legislation to Fix Hospice Special Focus Program
For Immediate Release
November 06, 2024
(Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC) –The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) has endorsed H.R. 10097, the Enhancing Hospice Oversight and Transparency Act, introduced in the House of Representatives. The Alliance supports delaying the implementation of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service’s (CMS) hospice Special Focus Program (SFP), to allow for additional time to correct its flawed design that creates a high risk of failing to identify poor performing hospices that should be subject to increased oversight.
The SFP was created under the HOSPICE Act which established additional tools for CMS to oversee the Medicare Hospice Benefit. Notably, Representative Panetta —the original architect of the bill—has teamed up with Representative Van Duyne to decisively address and correct CMS’ flawed implementation of the program, ensuring it fulfills its original intent.
Research conducted by McDermott+ (M+) has detected significant concerns with CMS’ SFP methodology intended to identify poor performing hospices, particularly its dependence on incomplete survey data. SFP is intended to allow targeting of these providers for more frequent quality of care reviews. The report emphasizes that “the high rate of hospices not being timely surveyed reduces confidence that the SFP will accurately identify the lowest performers, allowing some poor performers to fly under the radar.” The M+ analysis further reveals that not surveying all hospices within the 36-month timeframe required by law leaves nearly 30% of hospices in their sample without a fully accurate performance assessment, underscoring the importance of timely evaluations to maintain accountability and support quality care. Additionally, some choices CMS made in designing the evaluation model were deemed “not methodologically sound,” raising further questions about its effectiveness.
In response to these findings, the Enhancing Hospice Oversight and Transparency Act seeks to adjust the start date of the SFP to January 1, 2027, allowing additional time to ensure compliance with the HOSPICE Act – the bill which created the hospice Special Focus Program –and revise critical flaws in its methodology, intended to identify poor performing hospices. This postponement will further ensure that surveys are completed for all hospice programs, a key step needed to evaluate performance.
“Ensuring the highest quality of care for hospice patients is essential. Medicare beneficiaries and their families deserve clear and accurate information to make informed choices,” said Dr. Steve Landers, CEO for the Alliance. “The Alliance supports the Enhancing Hospice Oversight and Transparency Act, a bipartisan initiative to pause the flawed SFP program and allow for necessary redesign through meaningful collaboration between CMS, Congress, and key stakeholders. By working together, we can build an oversight system that ensures quality care and guides families toward high-performing hospices, while holding accountable any providers unwilling or unable to meet these standards.”
The National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care joins the Alliance on behalf of the hospice community to call on Congress and CMS to continue these essential collaborative efforts with stakeholders to fix the SFP so that it accurately identifies the poorest-performing providers, ensuring all hospice patients receive high-quality care.
“The Coalition is committed to program integrity and high-quality hospice care nationwide,” said Jessica Hausauer, PhD, Executive Director of the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care. “While we have collaborated closely with CMS over the years to support shared goals, the current design of the Hospice Special Focus Program raises significant concerns. We thank Representatives Van Duyne and Panetta for their leadership on this bill and urge CMS to delay the rollout, allowing for further input to ensure consumers receive accurate, reliable information in their search for quality care.”
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About the National Alliance for Care at Home
The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is a new national organization representing providers of home care, home health, hospice, palliative care, and other health care services mainly delivered in the home. The Alliance brings together two organizations with nearly 90 years of combined experience: NAHC and NHPCO. NAHC and NHPCO are in the process of combining operations to better serve members and lead into the future of care offered in the home. Learn more at www.AllianceForCareAtHome.org.
Press Contact
communications@allianceforcareathome.org
Elyssa Katz | 571-281-0220
Thomas Threlkeld | 202-547-7424
The Alliance Celebrates National Care at Home Month
For Immediate Release:
October 31, 2024
(Washington, DC) – November marks the start of National Care at Home Month, a new observance created to honor the valuable contributions of home care providers nationwide and inspire outreach to communities, media, and policymakers. National Care at Home Month is spearheaded by the newly formed National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance), bringing together the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). The Alliance harnesses the strengths of each legacy organization to represent, advocate for, educate, and connect home care, home health, hospice, and palliative care providers, helping them deliver the highest-quality care to patients and families in their homes and communities.
National Care at Home Month, like the new Alliance, honors the full continuum of care-at-home providers and the patients and families they serve. This community of providers is stronger together, and National Care at Home Month brings this message into public awareness. The month also offers an opportunity for providers and supporting organizations to come together and uplift one another, sharing stories of compassion and support, and highlighting the difference that care at home makes in people’s lives.
“National Care at Home Month is an opportunity for our community to come together, celebrate and honor one another, and highlight the transformative care and support provided to patients and their loved ones across the US each day,” said Dr. Steve Landers, CEO for the Alliance. “Especially as we enter the holiday season, National Care at Home Month plays a critical role in increasing awareness and understanding of care-at-home options and encouraging individuals to engage in valuable advance care planning conversations with their families and loved ones during the holidays.”
National Care at Home Month is derived from the longstanding months of recognition within the care-at-home community – National Hospice and Palliative Care Month and National Home Care and Hospice Month. The observance also builds on the work of National Family Caregivers Month, recognizing the invaluable and underappreciated work of unpaid caregivers.
The Alliance encourages individuals and organizations to participate in its annual Social Media Action Day on Thursday, November 21, using the hashtags #CareatHomeMonth and #StrongerTogether. Alliance members also have access to a range of other National Care at Home Month outreach resources.
For more information on planning for and receiving care at home, visit the Alliance’s free consumer resource, CaringInfo.org.
About the National Alliance for Care at Home
The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is a new national organization representing providers of home care, home health, hospice, palliative care, and other health care services mainly delivered in the home. The Alliance brings together two organizations with nearly 90 years of combined experience: NAHC and NHPCO. NAHC and NHPCO are in the process of combining operations to better serve members and lead into the future of care offered in the home. Learn more at www.AllianceForCareAtHome.org.
Press Contacts
communications@allianceforcareathome.org
Elyssa Katz | 571-281-0220
Thomas Threlkeld | 202-547-7424
Alliance Leads National Coalition for Continued Telehealth Flexibilities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2024
(Alexandria, VA and Washington, D.C.) – The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is spearheading a national coalition of hospice, home health, and palliative care organizations to urge Congress to extend vital telehealth flexibilities that have enhanced both hospice and home health care across the United States. These flexibilities, which are set to expire at the end of 2024, have allowed providers to conduct face-to-face (F2F) recertification visits remotely, reducing administrative burdens and improving patient access to essential care services.
The extension of these telehealth provisions is addressed in bipartisan and bicameral legislation, including H.R. 8261 – the Preserving Telehealth, Hospital, and Ambulance Access Act, which was unanimously passed out of the House of Representatives’ Ways & Means Committee earlier this year. Both hospice and home health communities have widely adopted these flexibilities, which have proven critical to improving the efficiency of care and patient outcomes. The Alliance calls on lawmakers to ensure that the F2F telehealth flexibility is included in any upcoming legislative package.
“Telehealth has transformed care delivery in both hospice and home health, particularly in rural and underserved areas,” said Dr. Steve Landers, CEO for the Alliance. “Virtual F2F recertifications have freed up clinicians to focus more on urgent patient care and this flexibility has allowed providers to continue serving patients efficiently and safely. Both sectors have seen improvements in access to care and a reduction in unnecessary travel burdens for providers and families.”
The Alliance remains steadfast in advocating for the swift extension of these telehealth provisions to ensure that providers can continue delivering high-quality, patient-centered care. The coalition’s letter, signed by 39 national and state organizations, underscores the importance of these flexibilities in maintaining access to care, especially for vulnerable populations.
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About the National Alliance for Care at Home
The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is a new national organization representing providers of home care, home health, hospice, palliative care, and other health care services mainly delivered in the home. The Alliance brings together two organizations with nearly 90 years of combined experience: NAHC and NHPCO. NAHC and NHPCO are in the process of combining operations to better serve members and lead into the future of care offered in the home. Learn more at www.AllianceForCareAtHome.org.
Press Contacts
Elyssa Katz, NHPCO Marketing and Communications Manager
ekatz@nhpco.org | 571-281-0220
Thomas Threlkeld, NAHC Director of Communications
tom@nahc.org | 202-547-7424
Alliance Sees Hospice CARE Act as Opportunity to Advance Hospice Benefit Discussion
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2024
(Alexandria, VA and Washington, D.C.) — The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance), a new national organization formed by the integration of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) recognizes the introduction of the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (CARE) Act, by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3).
The Alliance shares Rep. Blumenauer’s desire to update the Medicare hospice benefit to address the evolving needs of our country’s aging population while ensuring the sustainability and integrity of the hospice program. As a long-standing champion of hospice care, Rep. Blumenauer has consistently demonstrated a commitment to ensuring that hospice services remain accessible, compassionate, and of the highest quality for patients and their families. The Alliance appreciates Rep. Blumenauer’s commitment to involving a diverse group of stakeholders in developing this legislation and will continue to work closely with congressional leaders on the finer points of the proposed bill to ensure that the final legislation supports the needs of patients, families, and providers alike.
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About the National Alliance for Care at Home:
The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is a new national organization representing providers of home care, home health, hospice, palliative care, and other health care services mainly delivered in the home. The Alliance brings together two organizations with nearly 90 years of combined experience: NAHC and NHPCO. NAHC and NHPCO are in the process of combining operations to better serve members and lead into the future of care offered in the home. Learn more at www.AllianceForCareAtHome.org.
Press Contacts:
Elyssa Katz, NHPCO Marketing and Communications Manager
ekatz@nhpco.org | 571-281-0220
Thomas Threlkeld, NAHC Director of Communications
tom@nahc.org | 202-547-7424
NHPCO Hosts Final Annual Leadership Conference, Welcomes Evolution to National Alliance for Care at Home
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2024
Photo Link
(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) hosted its annual leadership conference (ALC2024) in Denver, Colorado September 14–18, 2024. This conference is the final conference that legacy NHPCO is hosting as it joins with the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) to become the National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance). NAHC will host its final conference on October 20-24, 2024, in Tampa, Florida.
Over 1,000 attendees and exhibitors joined for the in-person program which included action-packed days of keynotes, concurrent education sessions, networking opportunities, award presentations, and celebrations.
Early arrival attendees participated in four pre-conference workshops: the Hospice Manager Development Program Foundation Course, the Hospice Compliance Certificate Program, the Hospice Quality Certificate Program, and the Goals of Care Communication workshop. Sunday concluded with the Kickoff Keynote, Joseph Stern, MD, author of Grief Connects Us: A Neurosurgeon’s Lessons on Love, Loss, and Compassion.
Monday, September 16 was the first full day of the main conference. Attendees joined the Opening Keynote, Daniel Kraft, MD, healthcare futurist, innovator, physician, and scientist. Before Kraft took the stage, inaugural CEO for the Alliance, Steven Landers, MD, MPH, shared remarks about the future of the care at home community, its strength in unity, and what members can expect from the Alliance. “This is not just about healthcare; it’s about our society, our compassion, our love for one another,” said Landers.
Tuesday began with a keynote session starring Marilu Henner, actress, author, and hospice advocate, before attendees networked with exhibitors and colleagues and attended a variety of concurrent education sessions. The day concluded with the National Hospice Foundation 2024 Gala.
During the gala, attendees enjoyed delicious food and drinks, danced to the Diamond Empire Band, and participated in live and silent auctions. Thanks to the generous support of attendees, the National Hospice Foundation, NHPCO’s fundraising affiliate, raised over $200,000 throughout the evening. All funds will support the Lighthouse of Hope fund to help fulfill patients’ last wishes.
On the last day of the conference, attendees gathered for the final keynote, Steven Garner, hospice prison reform and transformation consultant. Before leaving Denver, attendees joined one of five final concurrent education sessions.
As NHPCO celebrates the lasting impact its member have had since 1978 and looks ahead to the Alliance, ALC2024 also served as an opportunity to recognize, celebrate, and honor the many leaders from across the nation who played critical roles in shaping the hospice and palliative care community.
The hospice, palliative, and home care community can look forward to continued opportunities for education and engagement through the National Alliance for Care at Home. The Alliance is encouraging hospice, palliative care, home care, home health, Medicaid HCBS, and pediatric care providers to save the dates for conferences to be held July 27-29, 2025, in Chicago, and November 2-4, 2025, in New Orleans. More details about the structure and specific focus of those conferences will be shared in the coming months.
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About NHPCO
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is the nation’s largest and oldest membership association for providers who care for people affected by serious and life-limiting illness. Our members deliver and expand access to high-quality, person-centered interdisciplinary care to millions of Americans. NHPCO provides education and resources to support that mission. Together with our advocacy partner, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), we advance public policy to improve serious-illness and end-of-life care, while our CaringInfo program provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers. NHPCO is currently in the process of joining with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) to form the National Alliance for Care at Home.
About the National Alliance for Care at Home
The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is a new national organization representing providers of home care, home health, hospice, palliative care, and other health care services mainly delivered in the home. The Alliance brings together two organizations with nearly 90 years of combined experience: NAHC and NHPCO. NAHC and NHPCO are in the process of combining operations to better serve members and lead into the future of care offered in the home. Learn more at www.AllianceForCareAtHome.org.
Press Contact
Elyssa Katz, NHPCO Marketing and Communications Manager
ekatz@nhpco.org | 571-281-0220
NHPCO and the National Alliance for Care at Home Celebrate Healthcare Leader and Volunteer Award Honorees at Final NHPCO Conference
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 19, 2024
Photo Link
NHPCO and the National Alliance for Care at Home Celebrate Healthcare Leader and Volunteer Award Honorees at Final NHPCO Conference
(Alexandria, VA) – This week, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the new National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) honored standout members of the hospice and palliative care community during the 2024 NHPCO Annual Leadership Conference in Denver, Colorado.
Award presentations began on Sunday, September 15 with the NHPCO Founders Awards, honoring exceptional individuals whose pioneering vision, leadership, and innovative spirit have significantly contributed to the advancement and success of the hospice and palliative care community. The NHPCO Founders Award was presented to Susan Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer for Delaware Hospice, Chair of the Hospice Action Network (HAN) board, and member of the Alliance Transition Board, and Sandy Kuhlman, Chief Executive Officer for Hospice Services of Northwest Kansas.
On Monday, award presentations continued with the Dr. Bernice Catherine Harper Trailblazer Award, honoring a member who exemplifies Dr. Harper’s spirit of innovation and compassion, commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and passion for providing high-quality, culturally appropriate, person-centered services. The award was presented to the Cultural Diversity Team of the MJHS Health System, in New York, New York.
NHPCO’s We Honor Veterans program presented two awards. The Outstanding Program Award, recognizing the extraordinary investment, commitment, and achievement of hospice organizations providing high-quality, end-of-life care to Veterans and their families, was awarded to Geisinger Hospice in Danville, Pennsylvania, a Level 5 We Honor Veterans Partner. The inaugural 2024 We Honor Veterans Leadership Award, recognizing an exceptional leader and longtime partner of the We Honor Veterans Program, was presented to Scott Shreve of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The 2024 Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Awards wrapped up Monday’s award presentations. These awards recognize hospice volunteers who embody the concept of volunteerism at the heart of hospice; improving the patient experience and serving as an inspiration to others. The Furst Group and NuBrick Partners sponsored this year’s volunteer awards, and the MyNHPCO Awards Committee led the selection process. The 2024 recipients of the Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Awards are:
Organizational Support Award:
Richard D. Bressler
Weinstein Hospice – Atlanta, GA
Patient and Family Service Award:
Morag Hunt
Hospice del Valle – Alamosa, CO
Specialized Volunteer Service Award:
Krysta Cash
St. Catherine Hospice – Garden City, KS
We Honor Veterans Volunteer Service Award:
Linda Collins
Empath Tidewell Hospice – Englewood, FL
Young Leader Service Award:
Madison Helmick
Empath Tidewell Grief Care Blue Butterfly – Sarasota, FL
Tuesday morning served as a time to honor and celebrate the legacy of NHPCO Board members who successfully stewarded the organization over 46 years since its founding. Those who most recently served on the Board – who led during an important time of transformation as NHPCO decided to integrate with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice to form the National Alliance for Care at Home – were specifically honored:
Melinda Gruber, Chair
Tarrah Lowry, Vice Chair
Samira Beckwith
Pete Brunnick
Trisha Crissman
Ronald Crossno
Carla Davis
Jim Deal
Liz Fowler
Stacy Groff
Katy Lanz
Susan Lloyd
Ben Marcantonio
Christine McMichael
Norman McRae
Sarah McSpadden
Bob Parker
Clevis Parker
Joe Rogers
Lynne Sexten
Terri Warren
Nick Westfall
Tracy Wood
Kristen Yntema
Ben Marcantonio, Chief Integration Office for the Alliance, was also presented with the Visionary Leadership Award to recognize the impact his leadership has had during his tenure with NHPCO and will continue to have in the Alliance. Future Alliance conferences will feature a Visionary Leadership speaker to reinforce his passion and mission.
During the conference at the National Hospice Foundation’s 2024 Gala on Tuesday evening, Melinda Gruber, Vice President of Medical Group and Rehabilitation Services, Corewell Health Southwest Michigan, Vice Chair of the Alliance Transition Board, and Samira Beckwith, Executive Vice President for Chapters Health System, were each honored with the Galen Miller Leadership Award. The Galen Miller Leadership Award, created in memory of NHPCO’s Executive Vice President, is presented to hospice champions who exhibit the same dedication and passion for the hospice and palliative care community that Galen Miller did.
The Healthcare Architect Awards were also presented at the Gala, recognizing individuals who have significantly impacted the delivery and accessibility of hospice and palliative care. Carla Davis, Senior Vice President of Hospice and Palliative Care Operations for LHC Group and HAN Board member, and Bob Parker, Chief Clinical Officer for Kindful Health and Alliance Transition Board member, were each honored.
On Wednesday, September 18, the conference closed with the Heart of Hospice Awards, honoring colleagues who lead by example, positively impacting care and services and instilling the core values of hospice in all that they do. Ronald Crossno, Chief Medical Officer for Gentiva, and Bernice Burkarth, Chief Medical Officer for Tufts Medicine Care at Home, accepted the award.
As NHPCO evolves into the National Alliance for Care at Home, the final Annual Leadership Conference served as an important milestone to recognize, honor, and celebrate the many leaders from across the nation who played critical roles in advancing the hospice and palliative care community. The National Alliance for Care at Home will continue the important work of these innovators.
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About NHPCO
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is the nation’s largest and oldest membership association for providers who care for people affected by serious and life-limiting illness. Our members deliver and expand access to high-quality, person-centered interdisciplinary care to millions of Americans. NHPCO provides education and resources to support that mission. Together with our advocacy partner, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), we advance public policy to improve serious-illness and end-of-life care, while our CaringInfo program provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers. NHPCO is currently in the process of joining with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) to form the National Alliance for Care at Home.
About the National Alliance for Care at Home
The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is a new national organization representing providers of home care, home health, hospice, palliative care, and other health care services mainly delivered in the home. The Alliance brings together two organizations with nearly 90 years of combined experience: NAHC and NHPCO. NAHC and NHPCO are in the process of combining operations to better serve members and lead into the future of care offered in the home. Learn more at www.AllianceForCareAtHome.org.
Press Contact
Elyssa Katz, NHPCO Marketing and Communications Manager
ekatz@nhpco.org | 571-281-0220
2024 NHPCO Facts and Figures Report Now Available
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2024
2022 Data Show First Increase in Hospice Utilization Rates Since COVID
(Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC) – The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) published the 2024 edition of National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) Facts and Figures, an annual report on key data points related to the delivery of hospice care, including information on patient characteristics, location and level of care, Medicare hospice spending, and hospice providers. Facts and Figures – the leading resource for hospice providers and others interested in understanding the work of the community – has been published annually for over two decades by NHPCO. NHPCO is currently integrating into the Alliance, a newly-formed national organization that is combining the two leading organizations supporting the care-at-home community – NHPCO and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC).
The findings in this report reflect patients who received care in Calendar Year (CY) 2022, or Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, provided by hospices certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and reimbursed under the Medicare Hospice Benefit. This year COVID-19 continued to impact patient care as COVID-19 waivers were still in place through May 2023. These waivers included increased telehealth services. With 49.1% of all Medicare decedents in 2022 choosing hospice care, utilization of hospice increased in 2022 for the first time since 2019. The increase hints at a normalization of the utilization rates back to pre-COVID data. Hospice utilization rates increased across all race and ethnicity groups, with the largest increase among Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries seeing. The total number of beneficiaries enrolled in hospice care in 2022 was 1.72 million. Due to the unique impact of COVID-19 on 2020 data, those data are not included in many of the charts this year.
“The hospice Facts and Figures has been an important and impactful NHPCO publication. It is a great example of the type of data and high-quality information the newly formed National Alliance for Care at Home plans to provide the hospice and broader care-at-home community for years to come,” said Dr. Steve Landers, Chief Executive Officer for the Alliance.
Select findings from this year’s report include the following:
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- 1.72 million Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in hospice care for one day or more in calendar year (CY) 2022. This is a slight increase from 2021 but approximately equal to 2020.
- Of all Medicare decedents in CY 2022, 49.1% received one day or more of hospice care and were enrolled in hospice at the time of death. This is the first increase in utilization since 2019.
- In CY 2022, Medicare Advantage (MA) continued growing into a larger portion of the Medicare population. A vast majority of MA beneficiaries shift to Traditional Medicare to utilize the Medicare Hospice Benefit. A small sect of beneficiaries who stay with MA for hospice care have value-based insurance design (VBID) plans.
- In CY 2022, 51.6% of White Medicare decedents used the Medicare Hospice Benefit. 38.1% of Asian American Medicare decedents and 37.4% of Black Medicare decedents enrolled in hospice. 38.3% of Hispanic and 37.1% of North American Native Medicare decedents used hospice in 2022. In CY 2022, there was an increase in hospice utilizations by all race/ethnicity groups, with the largest increase among Hispanic beneficiaries. No group has returned to pre-COVID-19 utilization percentages.
- The principal hospice diagnosis is the diagnosis, based on ICD-10 codes, determined to be the most contributory to the patient’s terminal prognosis. Alzheimer’s/nervous system disorders/organic psychosis, at 25%, is the top category of diagnosis for hospice beneficiaries and appears multiple times in the top diagnoses by, ICD-10 code. Cancer and circulatory diseases round out the top three diagnoses groups which account for nearly three-fourths of all hospice beneficiary diagnoses.
- Medicare paid hospice providers a total of $23.7 billion dollars for care provided in CY 2022, representing an increase of 2.7% over the previous year. This is slower growth compared to 2019-2021 but similar growth from 2020-2021.
- In the most recently available data, 50.0% of participating providers received four or five stars on the CAHPS® (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey, which represents a 1% increase over the prior reporting period. However, Star Ratings were available for fewer than half of providers (2,046).
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The 2024 Facts and Figures report is available to all on the NHPCO and Alliance websites.
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About NHPCO
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is the nation’s largest and oldest membership association for providers who care for people affected by serious and life-limiting illness. Our members deliver and expand access to high-quality, person-centered interdisciplinary care to millions of Americans. NHPCO provides education and resources to support that mission. Together with our advocacy partner, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), we advance public policy to improve serious-illness and end-of-life care, while our CaringInfo program provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers. NHPCO is currently in the process of joining with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) to form the National Alliance for Care at Home.
About the National Alliance for Care at Home
The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is a new national organization representing providers of home care, home health, hospice, palliative care, and other health care services mainly delivered in the home. The Alliance brings together two organizations with nearly 90 years of combined experience: NAHC and NHPCO. NAHC and NHPCO are in the process of combining operations to better serve members and lead into the future of care offered in the home. Learn more at www.AllianceForCareAtHome.org.
Press Contact
Elyssa Katz
ekatz@nhpco.org | 571-281-0220
Steve Landers, MD, MPH, Named Inaugural Chief Executive Officer of NAHC-NHPCO Alliance
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 2024
(Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC) — Steven Landers, MD, MPH, has been named the inaugural Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the newly merged NAHC-NHPCO Alliance (The Alliance). A recognized national leader and innovator in home health, primary care and aging services, Dr. Landers brings almost two decades of experience as a physician, executive leader and health policy advocate to The Alliance, which represents care at home and community providers across the country.
Dr. Landers has dedicated his career to seeking home- and community-based health care solutions for people of all ages. As a board-certified physician in family medicine, geriatric medicine, and hospice and palliative medicine, he is a champion of the impactful role health care at home plays in the health and wellbeing of communities, acknowledging that as an aging nation, providing compassionate, dignified and cost-effective systems of care to patients is critical.
“The Alliance members provide a wide range of high-quality home- and community-based services that promote comfort, dignity and independence. I’m so proud to become a part of this organization, and am eager to serve,” said Dr. Landers. “I’ve had the opportunity in my career to see the health care industry from many vantage points, and in this new role with The Alliance, I will use all that I have learned to make a difference for our members as we continue to expand to meet the growing public needs for our care.”
Prior to joining The Alliance, Dr. Landers served in several executive leadership roles. He was the director of home care at the Cleveland Clinic, and for more than 11 years was the president and CEO of the Visiting Nurse Association Health Group, Inc. — one of the oldest, largest and highly respected home health, hospice and community health organizations in the country. During his most recent tenure as the president and CEO of Hebrew SeniorLife, he led an organization known for superior senior living, geriatric health care, research and teaching.
Dr. Landers has served on numerous boards and committees in the care at home space and has represented organizations by engaging policymakers, including meeting with members of Congress; providing committee testimonies for Congress and state legislatures; and discussing home care policies and regulations with the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission officials, and federal agency staff.
“Providing leadership around policy and advocacy efforts is critical to our mission at The Alliance,” said Transition Board Chair Ken Albert. “Throughout his career, Dr. Landers served the field as an effective policy advocate, shaping policy at both the state and federal levels. We are thrilled to welcome him as our inaugural CEO, and I know he will build an extraordinary team to offer value for our members.”
Early in his career, Dr. Landers based his clinical practice on providing health care through house calls and thousands of home visits, primarily to low-mobility patients. While in this setting, he saw the need to connect home care and hospice to the broader health care system and medical community. He understood that to improve patient care, health care providers need to explore and thrive at the intersection of clinical work, health policy and systems of care. He pursued a master’s degree in public health, which contributed to his passion for influencing federal and state legislation to improve health care delivery to home-based patients.
“Dr. Landers’ rich and diversified experience makes him the ideal candidate to lead our membership as our organization evolves,” said Alliance Transition Board Vice Chair Melinda Gruber. “Working alongside community health workers and within our patients’ homes, he understands what we need as frontline caregivers and advocates.”
Dr. Landers is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, where his training included a family medicine residency at Case Western and a geriatric medicine fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. He also attended the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he focused on health policy and management. Additionally, he received a bachelor of arts in political science from Indiana University in Bloomington.
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About the NAHC-NHPCO Alliance
The NAHC-NHPCO Alliance brings together the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), two organizations with more than 90 years of combined experience serving providers of quality care in the home to form one new association. This historic alliance creates a national organization representing providers of home care, home health, hospice, and palliative care, forming the most powerful voice and resource the care-at-home community has seen. The integration process underway is expected to continue through the beginning of 2025. While leadership explores a permanent name, the new organization is operating under the interim name the NAHC-NHPCO Alliance. Find the latest on the NAHC and NHPCO websites.
Press Contacts
Elyssa Katz, NHPCO Marketing and Communications Manager
ekatz@nhpco.org | 571-281-0220
Thomas Threlkeld, NAHC Director of Communications
tom@nahc.org | 202-547-7424