For Immediate Release:
October 28, 2021

Data Show Growing Number of People Choosing Hospice and Decreasing Number of Cancer Diagnoses

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) today published the 2021 edition of NHPCO Facts and Figures (PDF), a report produced annually to provide an overview of hospice care delivery in the U.S., with specific information on hospice patient characteristics, location and level of care, Medicare hospice spending, hospice provider characteristics, and more.

“In the nearly forty years that the Medicare hospice benefit has been in place, we’ve seen a significant shift in the primary diagnoses, how communities access care, length of service, and how hospice is made available,” said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach. “Next year we mark the 40^th anniversary of the passage of the Medicare hospice benefit legislation, and we must be actively planning for the next 40 years. The latest NHPCO Facts and Figures report is a resource for policymakers and healthcare leaders nationwide who are mapping the future of patient-centered, interdisciplinary care to help patients live life to its fullest right up to the end.”

NHPCO published Facts and Figures just prior to the start of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, marked each year in November. On Friday, November 5, NHPCO is encouraging all hospice providers and supporters to participate in the annual Social Media Action Day to increase visibility of hospice and palliative care and share the benefits.

Key points from the report include the following:

Changing Primary Diagnoses

In 2019 we saw continued growth in the number of Medicare hospice patients with non-cancer diagnoses, including a principal diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, dementia, or Parkinson’s, which represented more than four times the number of patients who had cancer. For several decades, hospices primarily served people with cancer diagnoses. As recently as 2007, cancer continued to be the leading principal diagnosis of those receiving care. However, that has shifted dramatically over the last decade.

Reaching Diverse Communities

In 2019, almost 54 percent of white Medicare beneficiary decedents used hospice care (53.8 percent). Nearly 43 percent (42.7) of Hispanic Medicare beneficiary decedents and almost 41 percent (40.8) of Black Medicare beneficiary decedents enrolled in hospice in 2019. For the hospice community, which is committed to equity and access, these figures show significant progress over the last two decades as well as a need for continued improvement.

Late Hospice Access

Hospice professionals continue to be concerned about the number of people accessing hospice care late in the course of an illness. The NHPCO report indicates that 10 percent of Medicare decedents received hospice care for two days or less in 2019. Twenty-five percent of beneficiaries received care for five days or less, and 50 percent received care for 18 days or less. These very short stays in hospice are considered too short a period for patients to fully benefit from the unique person-centered, interdisciplinary care provided by hospice.

Growth in Hospice Utilization

1.61 million Medicare beneficiaries received hospice care in 2019, an increase of 3.9 percent from the previous year. Utilization of the hospice benefit remains slightly higher among individuals enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans than among traditional Medicare users, while the trendline for hospice usage continues to increase in both groups. MA enrollees who utilized the hospice benefit rose from 51.1 percent in 2015 to 53.2 percent in 2019. During the same period, traditional Medicare beneficiaries utilizing the hospice benefit rose from 47.6 percent of Medicare decedents in 2015 to 50.7 percent in 2019.

Additional Data Points

• • • 51.6 percent of all Medicare decedents were enrolled in hospice at the time of death in 2019.
    • The average Lifelong Length of Stay (LLOS) for Medicare patients enrolled in hospice in 2019 was 92.6 days. The Median Length of Service (MLOS) was 18 days, which has changed little in the last fifteen years.
    • Routine Home Care accounted for 98.3 percent of days of care provided. This includes care provided in the patient’s own home, an assisted living facility, nursing home, or other congregate living facility.
    • Over the course of 2019, there were 4,840 Medicare certified hospices in operation based on claims data. This represents an increase of 18.3 percent since 2014.

“This annual report provides a valuable snapshot of hospice access and care provision, but we never forget that behind the data points are people,” added Banach. “That’s why the hospices across the country work tirelessly to provide person- and family-centered, interdisciplinary care to help them during a time of great need.”

Download the new report, NHPCO Facts and Figures (PDF).

To learn more about hospice and care for those coping with serious illness, please visit NHPCO’s CaringInfo.org website.

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
Communications, Director
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
October 12, 2021

NHPCO Partners with Empathy to Strengthen Care for Families After Loss of a Loved One

A New Platform Providing Support to Families Coping with the Emotional and Logistical Aspects of Grief will be Offered to NHPCO Provider Members

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is proud to welcome Empathy as a new partner. Through this partnership, Empathy will help advance NHPCO’s efforts to lead person- and family-centered care in the U.S. by offering logistical support, emotional guidance, and continuity of care to families suffering the loss of a loved one.

Every year, three million people die in the U.S., leaving behind tens of millions of grieving family members. Empathy was created to help these families deal with the challenges they face – not just the pain of loss, but all the practical and logistical issues that come with it. Experts estimate that it takes over 500 hours for bereaved families to settle the final affairs of a loved one following their passing. Empathy designed its app to ease the burden for every family, putting the control back in their hands and giving them practical tools to navigate the hardest time in their lives.

“Loss is overwhelming on its own – add in the fact that families must tackle piles of bureaucracy immediately after losing their loved one, and suddenly, loss becomes incredibly more difficult,” said Empathy Co-Founder and CEO Ron Gura. “The logistics that surround a loved one’s passing should be as easy and intuitive as possible, but instead they are confusing, expensive, and emotionally draining. As the leading platform for supporting families through loss, Empathy is humbled to empower families through this difficult process, easing their burden while providing some clarity and peace of mind.”

Through the easy-to-use app, developed in collaboration with social workers and bereavement experts, Empathy gives families emotional support alongside the practical guidance and tools they need to prioritize and handle every task that comes when a loved one passes.

“Empathy is innovating the end-of-life industry by providing this essential application that will ease some of the burdens bereaved families face. We’re proud that they are joining NHPCO to provide a valuable tool to help families and caregivers with the challenges that go along with the death of a loved one,” said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach.

Gura added, “We are honored to partner with NHPCO, an organization that prides itself on setting high standards in the hospice field. We look forward to providing a new resource to its members and together, meet families where they are and support them through whatever challenges they face, in a holistic way. We believe technology plays a vital role in both guiding families through loss and ensuring they have the time and a supportive environment to focus on their emotional well-being and those close to them.”

As hospice and palliative care providers know so well, losing a loved one is hard enough, and the experience of loss begins well before the actual death. Empathy helps families with everything that comes next, providing them with emotional support, actionable guidance, and tools for all the planning, organizing, and logistical tasks they face along the way.

“The Empathy app is a valuable addition to the resources and support that hospice bereavement programs already offer to those they care for,” noted Banach. “We look forward to working with Empathy to redefine quality and continuous care for the industry at large.”

As part of this partnership, qualified NHPCO members will be given the opportunity to offer a co-branded version of the Empathy app to the families they serve and support. Learn more by visiting Empathy’s website.

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NHPCO Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

Empathy Contact:
Garrett Krivicich
Headline Media
Ph: +1 786 233 7684

About Empathy
Empathy’s mission is to help families deal with loss, incorporating both emotional and logistical support for the families in their time of need. Powered by technology and driven by purpose, Empathy’s application simplifies and streamlines end-of-life bureaucracy with personalized plans and grief support. Launched in 2021 and headquartered in New York and Tel Aviv, Empathy was founded by Ron Gura and Yonatan Bergman and is backed by VC firms General Catalyst and Aleph. To receive more information about Empathy’s app, visit www.Empathy.com.

For Immediate Release:
October 1, 2021

NHPCO Responds to Year Two Announcement of Medicare Advantage Hospice Carve In Demonstration

MA VBID Model Fails to Support Beneficiary Needs

(Alexandria, Va)—The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), responded to this week’s announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlining 2022 participants in the Medicare Advantage (MA) Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model, including MA organizations participating in the Hospice Benefit Component. In January of this year, CMS started offering hospice services through Medicare Advantage plans through VBID.

CMS first announced in January 2019 that Medicare Advantage plans would be able to offer hospice care services starting in 2021 under a demonstration project. NHPCO was initially receptive to a demonstration and offered recommendations on how it could enhance access to community-based, person-centered interdisciplinary care offered by hospice providers. At the end of 2019, we called for a delay in implementation when we learned that the model as designed lacked sufficient beneficiary protections. When COVID-19 cases started to rise rapidly in the spring of 2020, together with Families USA and the Medicare Rights Center, NHPCO implored CMS to move the launch date while hospices directed their energy and resources toward ensuring uninterrupted care in the face of an emerging global pandemic. Nonetheless, CMS hastily proceeded to launch the hospice component of VBID.

One component of the VBID hospice benefit that differs from traditional Medicare hospice care is called “transitional concurrent care,” which allows a patient to receive palliative care for serious illness concurrent with a transition to hospice care for those nearing the end of life. However, VIBD has not defined a required set of core services for “comprehensive palliative care” that a Medicare Advantage plan can offer to effectively implement concurrent care. We believe that all beneficiaries facing serious and life-limiting illness deserve well-defined services. Without that, they can be denied access to the care they deserve.

NHPCO President and CEO, Edo Banach, said, “Nearly a year into the demonstration, CMS has not shared data or explained how this demonstration improves access to hospice care. We see no evidence to support a second implementation year. Furthermore, providers and consumer advocates are disheartened by CMS’s decision to continue with this experiment while many states are experiencing their highest COVID-19 positivity rates, hospitalizations, and worst workforce shortages since the beginning of the pandemic. Especially in the face of a public health emergency, we ask CMS to honor its commitment to partner closely with the hospice provider community and consumer groups in their mission to advance health equity, expand coverage, and improve outcomes.”

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
September 22, 2021

Spanish-language Edition of Inclusion and Access Toolkit Released as Part of National Interdisciplinary Conference

Toolkit Provides Inclusion Strategies for Hospice and Palliative Care Providers

(Alexandria, Va) – As part of efforts to make diversity and equity resources more accessible, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has published its Inclusion and Access Toolkit in Spanish and is releasing this resource free-of-charge as part of its annual Interdisciplinary Conference taking place September 20 – 22, 2021.

This toolkit, originally released in English in 2020, is designed to provide information on basic strategies to promote access to care for communities underserved by hospice and community-based palliative care and provide resources to help promote a culture of inclusion, both for staff as well as patients and families.

The framework of the toolkit is centered around nine topic areas: the business case for inclusion, vision and values, community presence, marketing and public relations, board development, administration, quality assessment and performance improvement, workforce development, and patient and family care services.

“Promoting inclusive and equitable health care is a strategic priority for NHPCO. We want to help all hospice and palliative care providers ensure they are reaching their community and providing appropriate and equitable care to patients and families. Offering this toolkit in Spanish will help more providers in their efforts to hold diversity and inclusion as an imperative and best practice,” said NHPCO President & CEO Edo Banach.

This toolkit is aimed at supporting all providers in their efforts to build a framework and sustainable yet flexible model for inclusion and access in their organization. It is available to all at no cost.

Download the Spanish translation of the Inclusion and Access Toolkit.

To see more of NHPCO’s resources, including outreach guides, visit www.nhpco.org/diversity.

Learn more about palliative care and coping with serious illness on NHPCO’s consumer-focused website CaringInfo.org.

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
September 20, 2021

NHPCO Presents Hospice Volunteer Awards at National Conference

Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Awards Celebrate Outstanding Volunteers

(Alexandria, Va) – This week the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) will present its annual Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Awards during the 2021 Interdisciplinary Conference, being held as a virtual event this year.

These awards, which are presented across the three days of the conference, recognize hospice volunteers who best reflect the universal concept of volunteerism in its truest sense—serving as an inspiration to others. The honorees have made significant contributions to hospice programs in the areas of care delivery, organizational support, and teamwork.

“We are in a time of great challenge as a country, which calls us to focus on our values and what truly matters. Hospice volunteers truly represent the best of what we can be. That’s why we celebrate the volunteers who demonstrate remarkable service, compassion, and commitment in service of hospices in their communities. Their gift of caring has a profound impact on patients, families, and the communities they serve, and we cannot thank them enough for the support they provide,” said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach.

The 2021 recipients of NHPCO’s Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice Awards are:

Patient and Family Service Award:
Jane Brem
Providence Hospice of Seattle – Tukwila, Washington

Specialized Volunteer Service Award:
Sherry Frichtl
Brookdale Hospice – Indianapolis, Indiana

Organizational Support Award:
Juliann Goldman
Jewish Social Service Agency Hospice – Rockville, Maryland

Young Leader Award:
Thuong “Katie” Nguyen
TRU Community Care – Lafayette, Colorado

We Honor Veterans Volunteer Service Award:
James L. Blincoe
Suncoast Hospice, a member of Empath Health – Clearwater, Florida

Learn more about the accomplishments of these outstanding volunteers in the 2021 award presentation video.

“Hospice volunteers play an indispensable role in enabling hospice and palliative care organizations to offer the highest-quality care and support possible for the people they serve. By sharing their time, energy, and expertise, volunteers bring compassion and caring to the lives of those in need,” added Banach.

These volunteer awards were created and are administered by NHPCO’s MyNHPCO Professional Community, a section of the organization’s membership that promotes the contributions and skills of the different professional disciplines that make up the hospice interdisciplinary team, including volunteer management. The awards are presented as part of the Interdisciplinary Conference, the hospice community gathering dedicated to the interdisciplinary approach that is at the core of the hospice model of care.

Hospice Workforce Emergency Support Fund
As part of the conference activities, NHPCO’s affiliate organization the National Hospice Foundation will be raising support for the NHF Workforce Emergency Support Fund. This fund provides support for hospice and palliative care staff among the NHPCO membership who have experienced loss due to emergency events such as hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, or other emergency situations. Anyone can donate to support this fund, and NHPCO Members can find the application form to apply for support at nationalhospicefoundation.org.

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Registration for the conference includes access to on-demand content that will be open through December 31, 2021. Visit www.nhpco.org/2021idc.

Learn more about hospice and palliative care at NHPCO’s CaringInfo.org website.

Contact:
Jon Radulovic
Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
August 31, 2021

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHCPO) has welcomed its new Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Membership – Caleb Tiller. Tiller comes into the role with more than 20 years of communications, marketing, and membership experience. He spent nine years supporting trade and professional associations and 11 years serving mission-driven nonprofits working to advance global health, climate action, and other pressing international issues.

Prior to joining NHPCO, Tiller led the global communications and marketing function for EngenderHealth, an international organization working to advance gender equality and to improve sexual, reproductive, and maternal health outcomes. Previously, he served for eight years in leadership roles with the Communications & Public Affairs team of the United Nations Foundation, working on a variety of campaigns that built communities and expanded support for issues including malaria, polio, vaccines access, clean cooking, climate action, gender equality, and more. Before joining the UN Foundation, Tiller worked for a decade in leading travel industry organizations, including the Global Business Travel Association, the Airlines Reporting Corporation, and the American Society of Travel Agents, taking on roles of ever-increasing responsibility in the areas of member communications, marketing, and external affairs. In each of these roles, Tiller has provided communications support to steer organizations through major strategic transitions or periods of significant growth.

Tiller welcomed his new role by saying, “Joining NHPCO is an opportunity for me to work with an incredible staff and leadership team to support a community of organizations across the country who every single day make a difference in people’s lives at the most critical times. Hospice and palliative care providers deserve the best possible support organization to keep them updated on regulatory and industry changes, to advocate for their priorities, and to help them learn and grow. NHPCO is that organization. I’m excited to join the team, and I look forward to working alongside hospice and palliative professionals to ensure the community has everything it needs to continue focusing on helping patients, their families, and their communities.”

Tiller is a graduate of the College of Wooster in Wooster, OH. Before starting his communications and marketing career, he worked for four years as a college tutor and high school teacher focused on literature and writing. His first exposure to the hospice movement was as a young child, helping prepare mailings, tending a memorial garden, and doing other important volunteer tasks for the hospice where his mother provided bereavement care. He lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, son and daughter (both teenagers), his father-in-law, and the family dog. His favorite activities include walking, jogging, and biking in Rock Creek Park and going to concerts.

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
August 30, 2021

Hospices Speak Up on Home Health Proposed Rule

NHPCO Comments to CMS Incorporate Concerns of the National Hospice Community

On behalf of the national hospice provider community, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) has submitted detailed comments (PDF) to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the hospice survey reform and enforcement remedies provisions contained in the Calendar Year 2022 Home Health PPS Proposed Rule, also known CMS-1747-P or the Home Health proposed rule. NHPCO’s comments incorporate extensive feedback from NHPCO members and state organizations, gathered through discussions by three NHPCO committees, member surveys and consultations, and workgroups convened to develop specific recommendations regarding key hospice provisions in the rule: accrediting organizations, survey processes, the special focus program, and enforcement remedies.

“NHPCO is pleased to represent the interests of the hospice community in the rulemaking process,” said NHPCO President and CEO, Edo Banach. “The hospice components of the Home Health proposed rule have significant implications for hospices and hospice patients across the country. Before and since the introduction of the Hospice Act in 2020, we have been actively engaged in both the legislative and regulatory processes, informing NHPCO members at each step, and making sure lawmakers and regulators hear their concerns.”

Banach continued, “While the intent of the proposed rule is sound, many of the specifics raise concerns. NHPCO’s recommended revisions to the proposed rule would protect patient interests, bring hospice regulations in line with regulations governing other post-acute care providers, and improve standardization and consistency in hospice accreditation and surveying systems—goals that align with the interests of Congress, CMS, hospices, patients, and the American people.”

NHPCO filed its comments Friday, August 27, 2021, and provided an immediate update through a Regulatory Alert emailed to members. Both the Regulatory Alert and the full comments are available to members on the NHPCO website. Members of the media can request copies by contacting Jon Radulovic at jradulovic@nhpco.org or 571-412-3973.

Banach added, “Thank you to the many NHPCO members who took part in the deliberations that shaped these comments—through our committees, surveys, and consultation calls. NHPCO is proud to be your voice in Washington.”

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Media Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
August 24, 2021

Upgrade to Staff Satisfaction Tool Created for Hospice and Palliative Care Organizations is Complete

STAR is a Powerful Tool Available to NHPCO Members at No Additional Cost

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is proud to announce the completion of the first major upgrade to the Survey of Team Attitudes and Relationships (STAR) performance measurement tool. Included as a benefit of membership, STAR is used by hospice and palliative care leaders to “take the temperature” of their workforce in order create the best possible work environment.

Job satisfaction is linked to staff morale, productivity, and turnover, as well as quality of patient care. Assessment of staff job satisfaction provides important feedback that leaders can use to make needed changes in organizational culture, processes, and improvement to the work environment.

By utilizing the online STAR tool, program leaders will gather valuable data from staff to gain insight into staff satisfaction. Additionally, programs participating in STAR have access to the national-level STAR report that can be used to determine workforce trends. Recent upgrades to STAR include:

• • • Survey questions are updated to reflect a broader approach beyond just clinical staff.
    • STAR consists of 13 core categories to gain valuable insight into your workforce: Collaboration, Communication, Company Leadership, Patient and Family Focus, Employee Engagement, Growth and Development, Inclusion, Job Enablement, Performance and Accountability, Alignment, Work Process, Demographics, and Compensation.
    • Six optional categories have been added to help capture a more detailed understanding of your staff: Corporate Responsibilities and Ethics, Managing Change, Pay and Benefits, Safety, and Work-Life Balance.
    • The upgraded STAR will offer dashboards for the data through Qualtrics, with multiple ways to splice the data making it a tool to help leadership focus on staff satisfaction.

“The STAR tool is included as a benefit of membership for provider members, giving access to a powerful resource at no extra cost,” said Edo Banach, NHPCO President and CEO.

Visit the NHPCO website at nhpco.org/STAR to download the FAQs and learn more about STAR.

Information on NHPCO membership is available online.

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For members of the public looking for more information on hospice, palliative care, or coping with serious illness, visit NHPCO’s CaringInfo.org.

Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release:
August 23, 2021

NHPCO Advocates for Consistent COVID Vaccine and Testing
Requirements for Health Workers

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), today issued the following statement from NHPCO President and CEO, Edo Banach:

“The health and safety of our frontline workers and the patients, families, and communities they serve have always been and always will be the highest priority for NHPCO and hospice and palliative care providers across the nation.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, NHPCO has worked with the government to advance COVID vaccines and testing for hospice and palliative care staff and volunteers, to ensure that care for patients and their families can continue safely. Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will require staff working in Medicare and Medicaid-participating nursing homes to be vaccinated against COVID-19. While the move to mandatory vaccinations for these frontline health workers will help protect patients, the current policy does not go far enough. To protect all Americans and give everyone the confidence to seek the healthcare they need, all health workers and volunteers in all settings—including home health, home hospice, and home palliative care workers—should be required to be vaccinated against and regularly tested for COVID-19, with exemptions for medical and religious reasons.

“Today, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval for the Pfizer-BioNTEch coronavirus vaccine, providing greater certainty around vaccines for all Americans. Similarly, announcing a national requirement for healthcare workers to be vaccinated would provide greater certainty for the healthcare sector. The requirement should include a clear timeline and implementation should be supported with financial resources, including but not limited to additional support under the Provider Relief Fund and sufficient home-based rapid testing supplies.

“In addition to optimizing public health and safety, uniform, mandatory vaccinations for health workers would help improve public confidence in the healthcare system and help to address staffing challenges. We recognize that shortages of healthcare workers have created intense competition between employers, which has led to further shortages in some communities and healthcare settings. At the same time, employer vaccine requirements have frustrated some health workers. We realize that a national vaccine mandate may cause further frustration in the short term, and we are concerned about that. However, taking the long view, it’s clear that consistent requirements will strengthen public trust in the healthcare system and help stabilize staffing. A clear, nationwide approach, appropriately resourced, would provide the structure and certainty healthcare providers need in order to continue making progress on getting staff vaccinated.

“NHPCO looks forward to working with its colleagues and CMS to support the development and appropriate implementation of consistent requirements for healthcare providers, workers, and volunteers across the country to ensure the safety of the American people—particularly our most vulnerable populations—and to help stabilize the healthcare workforce.”

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Media Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973