Press Release Archives

NHPCO and We Honor Veterans Welcome CMS Clarification Regarding Medicare Hospice Benefit for Dually Eligible Veterans

For Immediate Release
March 11, 2024

(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and its We Honor Veterans (WHV) program responded to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) clarification on concurrent care eligibility for Veteran beneficiaries. Under Change Request 13523 issued by CMS on February 22, 2024, the Medicare Benefit Manual is updated to clarify that a Veteran beneficiary who elects hospice services under the Medicare benefit may still receive services that are not included on the hospice plan of care and are furnished and paid under the beneficiary’s Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, in addition to hospice services.

This is a much-needed clarification that NHPCO and WHV have advocated for to help ensure eligible Veterans get the best possible care with access to the full suite of benefits to which they are entitled. It is also an important demonstration of how concurrent care can optimize the patient experience.

Katherine Kemp, Senior Director of Veterans Services for NHPCO said, “NHPCO and WHV are pleased to see this important clarification for Veterans receiving end-of-life care. Enrolled Veterans and their families need and deserve the best of both healthcare systems and access to all options during this time. This change removes potential barriers to accessing benefits.”

NHPCO and WHV will continue to work with CMS and the VA to advance programs and policies that best serve those who served our Nation when they need it most.

###

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 serve as the leading voice advancing 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.org

About WHV
We Honor Veterans, a program of NHPCO in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), invites hospices, state hospice organizations, Hospice-Veteran Partnerships and VA facilities to join a pioneering program focused on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening and grateful acknowledgment. By recognizing the unique needs of America’s Veterans and their families, community providers, in partnership with VA staff, will learn how to accompany and guide them through their life stories toward a more peaceful ending.

Press Contact
Elyssa Katz
NHPCO Communications
571-281-0220

VBID Hospice Benefit Component Sunsetting End of 2024

For Immediate Release
March 4, 2024

(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) responded to today’s announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that as of December 31, 2024, the hospice benefit component of the Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model will conclude. This model allowed participating Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) to include the Medicare hospice benefit in their Medicare Advantage benefits package.

CMS cited feedback from providers, beneficiaries, and MAOs about their experience with VBID as the reason for discontinuing the hospice component of the model. CMS will no longer be accepting applications for the calendar year (CY) 2025 Request for Applications. This means hospice will no longer be a part of the VBID model beginning January 1, 2025. Hospice providers currently contracted with MAOs will continue with their contracts for CY 2024.

This outcome is a direct response which follows over five years of advocacy and engagement by NHPCO, including meetings and official filings with CMS’ VBID team in February 2024, August 2022, August 2021, and Spring 2020.

“This is a huge victory for patients’ access to quality care and for hospice providers who have continually identified challenges with this demonstration including concerns about VBID giving MAOs the ability to limit patient choices. NHPCO has advocated for years to end the VBID hospice carve-in and appreciate CMS making this important change,” said Ben Marcantonio, COO and Interim CEO of NHPCO. “We saw great success with concurrent care tested through the Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM) and would encourage CMMI to consider these learnings as a potential path forward.”

CMS will continue the VBID model in 2025 without the hospice component with the goal of delivering equitable, quality, person-centered care to Medicare beneficiaries. NHPCO will continue to work closely with Congress and CMS to reduce barriers for Americans seeking access to hospice and ensuring quality end-of-life care.

###

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 serve as the leading voice advancing 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.org

Press Contact: Madison Summers
NHPCO Public Affairs
571-412-3973

NHPCO Recognizes Participants Who Earned Health Equity Certificates in 2023 Project Echo: Equity Where It Matters Series

For Immediate Release
February 27, 2024

(Alexandria, Va) – In 2023, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) hosted the Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) series, Equity Where It Matters, consisting of bimonthly sessions on a wide variety of topics related to increasing access to equitable serious illness and end-of-life care. Participants in the program who attended at least seventy-percent of the sessions and completed program evaluation requirements earned an NHPCO Health Equity Certificate.

Project ECHO is an innovative program designed to create virtual groups of learners by bringing together healthcare providers, subject matter experts, and the wider community using case-based learning and fostering an “all teach, all learn” approach. Recognizing that diversity expands across many dimensions of our identity, the curriculum focused on inclusive topics addressing various aspects of diversity and cultural competence in healthcare.

NHPCO recognizes individuals who have earned the 2023 Health Equity Certificate:

1. 1. Stefanie Hansberry, Hospice of Southern Illinois, Inc.
  2. Kristopher Halsey, VITAS Healthcare
  3. Stacy Orloff, Empath Health
  4. Hope Walke, Empath Health
  5. Leslie Conner, Housecall Providers
  6. Ervilene Kuhlman, Hospice of San Angelo, Inc.
  7. Martha Young, Ecumen Hospice
  8. Sherry Coval, Empath Health
  9. Sandy Nelson, Hospice of Holland
  10. William Matthews, Empath Health

“Project ECHO empowers providers and communities through access to knowledge. Health equity and cultural competency are central to the delivery of high-quality care for all, and NHPCO is committed to ensuring our members and the broader hospice and palliative care community have access to the most up to date resources and information,” said Aparna Gupta, VP of Quality at NHPCO.

NHPCO is also recognized as an official “Superhub” of Project ECHO, joining the ranks of more than 25 organizations with the designation worldwide. As a Superhub, NHPCO facilitators are authorized to train new ECHO to grow and develop their own programs.

In 2024, NHPCO is resuming Project ECHO sessions in a new, miniseries format taking deep dives across diverse topics. The first miniseries is hosted in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Association, focusing on supporting and enhancing the ability of providers across the continuum to understand the unique needs of persons living with various facets of cognitive impairment. The miniseries will consist of seven weekly sessions held on Thursdays, 3-4 p.m. ET from March 7 through April 18 and is open to NHPCO members and the greater hospice and palliative care community. Register for the miniseries. For more information on NHPCO’s program, visit the Project ECHO webpage.

###

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 serve as the leading voice advancing 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.org

Press Contact
Elyssa Katz
NHPCO Communications
571-281-0220

NHPCO Celebrates Achievements of Hospice and Palliative Care Providers in Nationwide Quality Connections Program

For Immediate Release
February 13, 2024

Opens Enrollment for the 2024 Program Year

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) recognizes the achievements of participating member organizations who have earned rings in the third program year of NHPCO’s Quality Connections program. First launched in January 2021, Quality Connections (QC) is the only national program designed to support hospice and palliative care provider delivery of high-quality, person-centered care. The program is structured around four fundamental pillars which are represented by four rings: Education, Application, Measurement, and Innovation.

QC participants are required to achieve milestones within defined timeframes by participating in activities such as quarterly data reporting and benchmarking, educational courses, case studies, and engagement on emerging issues such as diversity, access, and inclusion, all of which serve to promote high-quality care delivery and service excellence. Achievement in the program is measured by completing activities within each of the four foundational areas, culminating in the closure of up to four rings.

NHPCO is proud to celebrate participants in the 2023 program year who collectively closed 361 achievement rings. Of the 300 participating programs, 83 organizations earned top recognition as a “four rings” program. Notably, four-ring achievement increased nearly fourfold from 2022, with the number of organizations closing rings increasing by nearly twenty percent and the total rings achieved increasing by eighty-nine percent.

“High-quality care delivery is the cornerstone of any successful hospice or palliative care program. NHPCO is the national leader in supporting providers in continuous quality improvement, and Quality Connections is a core part NHPCO’s quality resources. Providers who participate in the program are constantly evolving to better serve their communities and stay up to date with quality best practices. We look forward to welcoming a new cohort of providers and welcoming back returning providers as we begin the 2024 program year,” said NHPCO Vice President of Quality, Aparna Gupta.

QC is an exclusive NHPCO member benefit. The program cycle resets each year to ensure focused and effective continuous quality improvement. Program year 2024 begins on February 16, 2024 with over twenty-five percent new or updated content since the previous year, including activities related to advocacy and legislative action, survey preparedness, patient safety, and more.

Organizations interested in enrolling in the program can find more information on the Quality Connections webpage to start their quality improvement journey.

###

About NHPCO

Press Contact
Elyssa Katz
NHPCO Communications
571-281-0220

NHPCO Publishes Culturally Sensitive Communications to Enhance Care Delivery: A Resource Guide for Healthcare Professionals

For Immediate Release
January 30, 2024

(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) published Culturally Sensitive Communications to Enhance Care Delivery: A Resource Guide for Healthcare Professionals. This guide offers linguistic considerations to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in health, hospice, and palliative care. It contains information from a multitude of NHPCO resources, such as the Hospice Through The DEI Lens report, Inclusion and Access Toolkit, Black and African American Outreach Guide, Chinese American Resource Guide, Latino Outreach Guide, and LGBTQ+ Resource Guide, as well as information from additional external research sources.

Key findings and recommendations include:

- - Some common language used in conversation can have a negative effect on the patient experience and create a barrier to engaging hospice care.
  - It is important for clinicians and community support members to familiarize themselves with fundamental American Sign Language skills as 80% of individuals aged 80 and above encounter hearing loss, along with 63% of those aged 70 and older.
  - Utilizing culturally sensitive language is integral to aiding in the completion of advance care planning materials and providing a high-quality patient experience.

NHPCO COO and Interim CEO, Ben Marcantonio, said, “For the last two decades, we’ve continued to see white Americans choosing hospice at higher rates than Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Native Americans. This guide provides best practices for culturally sensitive communication in healthcare, recognizing that advancing health equity through language is an essential aspect of promoting inclusive and accessible healthcare practice.”

NHPCO DAC Chair, Nicole McCann-Davis, said, “Through this language guide, our goal is to provide information, guidance, and technical expertise to all providers, especially those serving diverse communities, that will advance health equity in end-of-life care. We aim to create a common lexicon, enable organizations to operate from the same values, and foster diverse, equitable, and inclusive approaches.”

To access the guide and other NHPCO DEI resources, visit nhpco.org/diversity.

###

About NHPCO

Press Contact
Elyssa Katz
NHPCO Communications
571-281-0220

NHPCO Comments on MedPAC’s Hospice Deliberations

For Immediate Release
January 12, 2024

MedPAC Commissioners Abandon their Previous Recommendation to Cut Payment Cap

(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) today commented on the hospice implications of the public meeting of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) held yesterday, as well as MedPAC’s hospice workplan, which has been presented at previous MedPAC meetings.

During yesterday’s public meetings, the MedPAC Commissioners unanimously voted in favor of the Chair’s hospice recommendation, which will be included in the Commission’s report to Congress in March 2024. While MedPAC is not a policy-setting body, its recommendations do bear weight among policymakers and lawmakers. For the first time in five years, MedPAC will not recommend a cut to the hospice aggregate payment cap, which is a per-patient limit on the payments a hospice provider can receive for delivering care.

“MedPAC’s shift away from its previous recommendations to cut the aggregate payment cap is a win for hospices, patients, and families,” said NHPCO Interim CEO, Ben Marcantonio. “For nearly five years, NHPCO and our members have publicly and privately made it clear that cutting the hospice aggregate cap would likely reduce access to hospice care by forcing some providers to close and incentivizing hospices to discharge patients after 180 days of care. We are gratified that Congress never acted on the cap cut concept. Further, we appreciate that MedPAC has heard our concerns, and that its next report to Congress will not include the recommendation.”

On the other hand, NHPCO is disappointed by MedPAC’s recommendation to Congress that hospice reimbursement rates for patient care should not be updated in 2025, although by law hospice payment rates are pegged to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) inpatient hospital market basket rate. Hospices continue to face rising cost pressures, and NHPCO has previously advocated to update the market basket rate for hospices as these rates do not reflect the unique situation hospice providers are in.

Marcantonio commented, “At a time when costs have been increasing across the board and hospices are competing for a limited healthcare workforce, keeping hospice payments flat would put the squeeze on hospice providers even as patient demand for hospice care is expected to keep growing. In order to serve the American public, Congress should ensure hospice providers are reimbursed to provide the end-of-life care people want and deserve. We will continue working with MedPAC and Congressional leaders to ensure the hospice care model is not undermined by shortsighted recommendations.”

MedPAC’s hospice workplan outlines the work the Commission is doing to examine hospice spending, care delivery, and related topics now and in the years ahead. The plan cites important studies demonstrating the financial value of hospice care for Medicare, including the Value of Hospice research published in 2023 by NORC at the University of Chicago, which NHPCO discussed with Commissioners ahead of the publication of the workplan. NHPCO will continue to engage with Commissioners going forward on important topics in the workplan, including Medicare savings delivered by hospice care, addressing nonhospice spending for beneficiaries enrolled in hospice, and end-of-life care for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease.

###

Press Contact
Elyssa Katz
571-281-0220

NAHC and NHPCO Announce Transition Board of Directors

For Immediate Release
December 21, 2023

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) jointly announced today that they have developed a proposed slate of Transition Board of Directors and officers for 2024. The Transition Board will oversee the transition to a new, consolidated organization pursuant to its ratification by both associations’ Boards of Directors in an agreement to combine which is contemplated in early 2024. The as-of-yet to be named organization will combine the strengths of NAHC and NHPCO, creating a better and more powerful advocate for the entire care-at-home community. This effort has been led by a joint Steering Committee, comprised of member and staff leaders from NAHC and NHPCO, which has been working collaboratively towards the shared goal of enhanced collaboration to drive industry impact, member value and quality patient outcomes.

The proposed Transition Board was selected collaboratively by the boards of NAHC and NHPCO and represents the full breadth of the patient-centered healthcare sector providing care in homes and communities nationwide, with wide-ranging expertise, demographic and geographic diversity, varied organizational tax statuses, and other criteria. The Transition Board includes equal representation from NAHC and NHPCO — directors with deep experience in home health, hospice, palliative care, personal care services, home care, and private duty. The board also includes business partners, representatives from state associations and at-large members. The board and officers will be ratified when the Definitive Agreements are signed in early 2024.

The proposed Transition Board is as follows:

- - Ken Albert, R.N., Esq., Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice, NAHC, Transition Board Chair
  - David Causby, Gentiva, NAHC
  - Trisha Crissman, MA, CommonSpirit Health at Home, NHPCO
  - Melinda Gruber, PhD, MBA, CNA, Corewell Health, NHPCO, Transition Board Vice Chair
  - Demetress Harrell, MA, LBSW, DAPA, Hospice in the Pines, NHPCO
  - Susan D. Lloyd, MSN, RN, Delaware Hospice, Inc., NHPCO
  - Tarrah Lowry, Trustbridge / Empath, NHPCO
  - Christine McMichael, MA, Hospice & Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts, current chair of Council of States, NHPCO
  - Mark Morse, Enclara Pharmacia, NHPCO
  - Mary Myers, Retired Johns Hopkins, NAHC
  - John Olajide, Axxess, NAHC
  - Bob Parker, DNP, RN, CENP, CHPN, CHP, Kindful Health, NHPCO
  - Susan Ponder-Stansel, Alivia Care, Inc., NAHC
  - Sara Ratcliffe, Illinois HomeCare & Hospice Council, current chair of Forum of States, NAHC
  - Lynne Sexten, FACHE, Agrace, NHPCO, Transition Board Secretary
  - William Simione, SimiTree, NAHC, Transition Board Treasurer
  - Jennifer Sheets, NAHC
  - Beth Slepian, Granite VNA, NAHC
  - Dave Totaro, BAYADA Home Health Care, NAHC
  - Nick Westfall, VITAS Healthcare, NHPCO

Melinda Gruber, proposed Vice Chair of the Transition Board, said, “Across the continuum of serious illness care, providers are looking to the future, working to ensure we can continue to provide high-quality, patient-centered care even as patient needs and payment models shift. The association representing providers should be similarly future-focused. This proposed Transition Board is the right group of people at the right time to take NHPCO and NAHC into the future, to continue providing value for our current and future members.”

Ken Albert, proposed Chair of the Transition Board, said, “With extraordinary opportunity comes the challenge of significant obligation. This proposed Transition Board is made up of experienced veterans of the care at home community, who possess the vision to understand both the opportunity and obligation to build an even stronger future for our sectors of the American health care delivery system. Fulfilling our pledge to return the home to the center of American health care will require a new organization with the expanded expertise of both NAHC and NHPCO. I am very confident that this talented group of leaders is up for the challenges ahead, and that our collective focus will remain on the needs of our members as they endeavor to meet the demands of providing high-quality healthcare.”

For more information, news, and updates on the collaboration, including recordings of the all-member Town Halls, please visit the collaboration update pages on the NAHC and NHPCO websites.

The Hospice Action Network Presents 2023 Angel Awards Honorees

For Immediate Release
December 19, 2023

President Carter Honored as the First-Ever Recipient of the Courageous Conversations Award

(Alexandria, VA) – The Hospice Action Network (HAN), the advocacy affiliate group of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), is pleased to announce its 2023 Hospice Action Network Angel Award Honorees. The HAN Angel Awards were created to recognize select members of Congress on both sides of the aisle for their ongoing efforts to amplify the voices of patients, families, providers, and those advocating for the vital mission of hospice and palliative care in supporting patients and their families facing serious or life-limiting illness.

New this year is the addition of the first-ever “Courageous Conversations Award” to be presented, when merited, to a standout individual who has inspired and educated the public on the value of hospice. At 99, former President Jimmy Carter is the longest living U.S. President and the first known President to utilize the Medicare Hospice Benefit. While in office, the Carter administration tested hospice care as a model, which later led to the Medicare Hospice Benefit we know today. President Carter sparked a national dialogue this year when the Carter Center publicly shared the news of him electing hospice for his end-of-life journey and later, his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter also elected hospice days before her death. Now over 10 months later, President Carter continues to enjoy care at home surrounded by friends and family made possible through his use of the Medicare Hospice Benefit. His story has also been invaluable in dispelling common myths and misconceptions surrounding hospice including average length of stay.

This year’s HAN award recipients are as follows:

The Courageous Conversations Award, 2023 Honoree
39^th U.S. President Jimmy Carter

2023 HAN Angel Award Honorees”
Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI)
Senator John Barrasso (WY)
Senator Deb Fischer (NE)
Senator Shelley Capito (WV)
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (NV)
Senator Jacky Rosen (NV)
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3)
Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-19)
Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (TX -24)
Congressman Brad Wenstrup (OH-2)

“Today we give thanks to the Members of Congress who champion the needs of hospices patients and providers. Their support has been critical, and we recognize them with the HAN Angel Award.,” said HAN Executive Director, Logan Hoover. “In addition to our champions in Congress, no one has better demonstrated the value of hospice this year than former President Jimmy Carter who continues to show us what is made possible by electing person- and family-centered, interdisciplinary care at the end of life.”

NHPCO and HAN are proud to recognize these exemplary leaders for their ongoing efforts.

###

About HAN:

Created in 2007, the Hospice Action Network (HAN) brings together the hospice and palliative care community to speak with a unified voice. HAN is the 501(c)(4) advocacy affiliate of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization(NHPCO). NHPCO and HAN work closely together to make an impact; NHPCO sets the public policy priorities through its Legislative Affairs Committee to provide a more aggressive and comprehensive advocacy voice that will serve the entire field and one of America’s most vulnerable populations, those at the end of life.

About NHPCO:

Press Contact:
Madison Summers
Public Affairs Manager
571-412-3973

2023 NHPCO Facts and Figures Report Now Available

For Immediate Release
December 13, 2023

Includes a special section on value-based insurance design hospice benefit

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) has published its 2023 edition of 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. NHPCO Facts and Figures is the leading resource for hospice providers and others interested in understanding the work of the community.

The findings in this report reflect patients who received care in Calendar Year (CY) 2021, or Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, provided by hospices certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and reimbursed under the Medicare Hospice Benefit. The 2023 Facts and Figures report continues to see the impact of COVID-19 on patient care and the effect of the COVID-19 waivers to the traditional delivery of hospice care. However, this year started to see the return to pre COVID-19 levels in some areas.

“NHPCO Facts and Figures is an essential resource for the hospice community. Many of our members use it to benchmark their own programs as one of the most-cited annual reports on hospice care,” said Ben Marcantonio, Interim CEO of NHPCO. “These numbers represent over one million Americans who rely on person-centered, interdisciplinary care each year during a time of great need.”

Select findings from this year’s report include the following:

- - Utilization of hospice care: 1.71 million Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in hospice care for one day or more in 2021.
  - Decrease in percentage of eligible patients served: Of all Medicare decedents in CY 2021, 47.3% received one day or more of hospice care and were enrolled in hospice at the time of death. This continues the downward trend from 2020, likely due to deaths continuing to outpace the growth in hospice due to COVID-19.
  - Medicare Advantage enrollment: Medicare Advantage (MA) continued growing into a larger portion of the Medicare population. To access hospice, MA beneficiaries must be in a value-based insurance design (VBID) plan or shift to Traditional Medicare to utilize the Medicare Hospice Benefit. Most beneficiaries switch to Traditional Medicare.
  - Race and ethnicity of beneficiaries: In 2021, 50.0% of White, 36.3% of Asian American, 35.6% of Black, 34.3% of Hispanic, and 33.8% of North American Native Medicare decedents used hospice. 2021 saw an increase in hospice utilizations by all race and ethnicity groups except White beneficiaries, which saw a -0.8% decrease. Despite this rebound from the 2020 decrease, no group has returned to pre-COVID-19 utilization percentages.
  - Continued trends in principal diagnoses: While cancer is in the top 20 diagnoses twice, it is tied with Alzheimer’s/nervous system disorders/organic psychosis as the top category of diagnosis (24%). Although COVID-19 accounts for only 2% of primary diagnoses, it may still have been a secondary or contributory diagnosis.
  - Trends in quality of care: CY 2021 saw an increase in visits in the last days of life by both nurses and social workers after a decline in 2020.
  - Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID): From CY 2021 to 2022, there was an increase in both participating providers and beneficiaries as well as an increase in the percentage of use of in-network providers.

The 2023 NHPCO Facts and Figures report is available to all on the NHPCO website.

###

About NHPCO:

NHPCO Contact:
Madison Summers
571-412-3973

NHPCO Statement: Final MCCM Report from CMS

For Immediate Release
November 10, 2023

(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) published the following statement in response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center (CMMI) release of the final Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM) report and At-A-Glance report.

MCCM was a CMMI model that ran from 2016 through 2021 to test the impact of providing concurrent curative and hospice care and evaluate “whether providing these supportive services could improve the quality of life and care received by Medicare beneficiaries, increase patient satisfaction, and reduce Medicare expenditures.” The key takeaways highlighted by CMS stated these goals were attained and “MCCM is a promising approach to increasing hospice use.”

“Despite findings in the report which state ‘participating hospices achieved MCCM’s goals of improving enrollees’ quality of life and care, attaining high satisfaction, and reducing Medicare expenditures and acute care service use’ through supportive service delivery and increased use of the Medicare hospice benefit, CMS determined the existing model was not scalable enough for continued funding and ended MCCM prematurely,” said NHPCO Interim CEO, Ben Marcantonio. “This is extremely disappointing as MCCM should be the approach future models follow to continue to improve access to quality hospice and palliative care. If all signs point to a successful program but you need more data, you find a way to increase participation, you don’t put it on a shelf.”

NHPCO is a proud supporter of S. 1845, the Expanding Access to Palliative Care Act led by Senators Rosen (D-NV), Barrasso (R-WY), Baldwin (D-WI), and Fischer (R-NE). This legislation would require CMMI to launch a Community Based Palliative Care program to support those with serious illness. This commonsense demonstration is built on the findings and successes of MCCM.

NHPCO will take the lessons learned from MCCM and apply them when developing new models while continuing to partner with CMS and Congress to provide the best possible care for Medicare beneficiaries.

###

About NHPCO

NHPCO Contact:
Madison Summers
571-412-3973