Category: Press Release

(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and its advocacy affiliate, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), are pleased to endorse the Improving Access to Advance Care Planning Act (S.4873/H.R. 8840), sponsored by Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), which will take crucial next steps to expand access to advance care planning by allowing social workers to facilitate these important conversations and removing beneficiary cost-sharing for advance care planning. The bill will also improve reporting of barriers to advance care planning and increase education for providers on coding for advance care planning visits.

“Each and every person should have a say in what happens to them when they experience serious illness and the end of life. Families, loved ones, and providers need to be aware of individuals’ wishes to ensure they are provided appropriate care, even when they cannot advocate for themselves,” said NHPCO COO and interim CEO Ben Marcantonio, “Advance care planning at its best is a series of ongoing conversations that have patients in the driver’s seat. Providers that facilitate those conversations, including social workers, should be valued for the work they do. NHPCO and HAN look forward to continuing to work with Congressional leaders to ensure that access to these conversations is protected and expanded.”

Join HAN in advocating for the Improving Access to Advance Care Planning Act by calling on your Members of Congress to cosponsor the bill.

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Contact:
Madison Summers
Marketing and Communications Manager
571-412-3973

For Immediate Release
November 30, 2022

(Alexandria, Va) – An article on hospice care published by ProPublica on November 28 (Endgame: How the Visionary Hospice Movement Became a For-Profit Hustle), 2022, gives readers an inaccurate view of the Medicare hospice benefit, a uniquely person-centered program that brought comfort to 1.7 million Americans and their families in 2020.

The article utilizes a few instances of abuse by bad actors to assert that hospice has lost its way. While we condemn fraudulent or abusive behavior, the vast majority of hospice providers remain true to its historic mission of providing comfort and relief from suffering to individuals at the end of life and support to their loved ones. This is evidenced by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data indicating that 81 percent of families/caregivers utilizing the Medicare benefit give the hospice an overall rating of 9 or 10 (with 10 being the best) and 84 percent would recommend hospice to family and friends.

Where inappropriate activity is occurring in hospice, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), hospices across the country, and other stakeholders have urged meaningful action, including our support for increasing the frequency with which hospice providers are reviewed for compliance with important health and safety standards (Medicare’s Hospice Conditions of Participation). Further, in 2019, NAHC, NHPCO, and other national hospice organizations helped craft a series of hospice survey reforms that were enacted in the Hospice Act of 2020, which are currently being put in place. We expect these reforms, once fully implemented, to provide additional quality of care safeguards in the hospice benefit.

More recently, NAHC, NHPCO, and other national organizations have been deeply concerned about the disproportionate growth in the number of hospices in some states. In November 2022, NAHC, NHPCO, and two other national hospice organizations wrote to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, urging further investigation of the proliferation of hospices in some states and to suggest targeted moratoria in trouble areas of the United States.

“We must all do our part to ensure that hospice remains a viable choice for terminally ill patients and their loved ones,” said NAHC President William A. Dombi. “Unfortunately, articles of this type may unwittingly discourage use of hospice care, thereby denying terminally ill patients and their families access to vital services that support and comfort them during and in the aftermath of one of life’s most difficult journeys.”

NHPCO COO and Interim CEO, Ben Marcantonio, said, “I’m proud to say the hospice community is the most active and vocal voice for measures that ensure the high quality of hospice care. The ProPublica article does a disservice by spotlighting the stories of bad actors, and using those to unfairly label the entire hospice community. Every day, tens of thousands of hospice professionals dedicate their lives to helping millions of Americans through their end-of-life journeys, and each year more Americans choose hospice because it matters to them and their loved ones.”

The hospice benefit is popular, well-regarded, and saves taxpayer dollars compared to keeping terminally ill patients in hospitals or other institutional centers of care. NAHC, NHPCO, and our members look forward to working with federal and state policymakers to implement solutions to address the isolated problems highlighted by the article without jeopardizing access to the Medicare hospice benefit.

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Contact:
Madison Summers
Marketing and Communications Manager
571-412-3973

For Immediate Release
November 29, 2022 

(Alexandria, Va) – This week, the U.S. Senate officially recognized November as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and its affiliate group, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), express our gratitude for this important recognition of the essential work of hospice and palliative care providers and volunteers across the country.

2022 marks the fortieth anniversary of the first Proclamation recognizing November as National Hospice Month. In 1982, President Ronald Regan signed into law the Medicare Hospice benefit which ensured that millions of seriously ill Americans could die with dignity while receiving care in their own homes. That same year, the president also declared a National Hospice and Palliative Care Week, which we now celebrate as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month.

“Every day, hospice and palliative care workers and volunteers provide unique, person-centered, interdisciplinary care to people who have a serious illness or those who are approaching the end of life. Palliative and hospice care help patients have the best quality of life and live out the time they have left in a way that reflects their heartfelt values, minimizes pain, and maximizes comfort. We were so pleased to work closely with Senate offices on this proclamation, and we thank the U.S. Senate for recognizing the importance of hospice and palliative care. Special appreciation goes to four Senators who have shown leadership on this issue and who introduced the Resolution: Senator Jacky Rosen, Senator John Barrasso, Senator Tammy Baldwin, and Senator Deb Fischer,” said NHPCO COO and interim CEO Ben Marcantonio.

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Contact:
Madison Summers
Marketing and Communications Manager
571-412-3973

 

For Immediate Release
November 21, 2022 

The four preeminent national hospice organizations – LeadingAge, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) – are concerned by reports of rapid proliferation of newly certified hospice agencies in a handful of states that could create opportunities for fraud and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The four organizations recently wrote a joint letter to U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, requesting a meeting about this important issue and encouraging “increased federal oversight…to protect hospice patients and their families, as well as the vast majority of hospice providers that properly observe Medicare and Medicaid laws and regulations.”

Press Contact: 
Madison Summers 
NHPCO Communications 
Ph: 571-412-3973 

For Immediate Release
October 31, 2022 

Meeting You Where You Are

(Alexandria, VA) – The beginning of November marks the start of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month (HAPCM). This year’s theme, “meeting you where you are” symbolizes providers meeting patients and their loved ones where they are, be it literally through serving them in the comfort of their own homes, spiritually in tailoring support to their unique beliefs, or emotionally by helping them to understand that choosing hospice does not mean giving up hope or quality of life. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) has materials available online for members to utilize throughout November in recognition of HAPCM.

“The numerous National Hospice and Palliative Care Month activities taking place online and across our members’ communities will raise awareness of the important work being done every single day to care for those living with serious or life-limiting illnesses,” said NHPCO COO and interim CEO, Ben Marcantonio. “This is an impactful opportunity to engage in a national conversation about the importance of serious-illness and end-of-life care that is patient-centered and goal-oriented.”

NHPCO encourages all individuals and organizations to participate in National Hospice and Palliative Care Month’s Social Media Action Day on Friday, November 4, 2022, using the hashtag #HAPCM (guide available for download by NHPCO members only). Members will also find a range of  National Hospice and Palliative Care Month outreach resources online in the Community Outreach Resource section of the website.

For additional information on hospice, palliative care, coping with serious illness, advance care planning and more, please visit NHPCO’s consumer website, www.CaringInfo.org.

Press Contact: 
Madison Summers 
NHPCO Communications 
Ph: 571-412-3973 

For Immediate Release
September 30, 2022 

(Alexandria, VA) The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and its affiliate group, the Hospice Action Network (HAN) applaud today’s introduction of the Grief Resilience Investment and Education Fund (GRIEF) Act in the House of Representatives by Congressman Joe Morelle (NY-25).

If passed, the GRIEF Act would expand access to bereavement care by providing grant funding for health care providers, like hospices, to expand previously unfunded community grief support programs.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, grieving individuals, families, children, and communities need access to timely bereavement care that is provided by experts who are knowledgeable, experienced, and trained in helping others cope with grief. This legislation aims to ensure that Americans who have suffered from loss receive the care they need and deserve.

“For too long, mental health needs have gone unaddressed, casting a shadow over families contending with significant loss—especially during the pandemic, said Congressman Joe Morelle. “Establishing a National Grief Strategy will help people move forward with the help of skilled professionals creating a culture of awareness and support. It is my hope that this legislation helps end the stigma around mental health and ensure families can access the essential support they deserve.”

The bill provides funding for grief counseling for individuals and families, bereavement care for children, education and training for bereavement care providers and peer support, a national public information campaign, and research to examine the experience of complicated and prolonged grief and the efficiency of treatment approaches.

As the leading voice of the hospice community, NHPCO worked in collaboration with supporting organizations to garner Congressional support for this bill. Support comes from the American Psychological Association (APA), the Hospice Foundation of America (HFA), and the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network (SWHPN).

“Compassion for individuals experiencing loss is at the heart of the collective hospice and palliative care community,” said Ben Marcantonio, COO and interim CEO of NHPCO and HAN. “The ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have increased the urgency to care for grieving individuals, families, and communities. Many hospices are currently providing bereavement support to their communities without any funding. We are grateful for Representative Morelle’s leadership in moving this important legislation forward.” The GRIEF Act will ensure that Americans who have been directly impacted by loss receive the care they need and deserve.

Join the Hospice Action Network in advocating for this bill.

Press Contact: 
Madison Summers 
NHPCO Communications 
Ph: 571-412-3973 

For Immediate Release
September 14, 2022 

(Alexandria – VA) The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and its affiliate group, the Hospice Action Network (HAN) recently led a letter on behalf of organizations representing a broad coalition of the hospice, palliative care, and telehealth communities urging Congress to require Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop and implement Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes or modifiers for telehealth visits and add them to the hospice claim form.   

Throughout the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has granted hospice patients and providers telehealth flexibilities which have expanded access to essential post-acute care and protected the health and wellbeing of the most medically vulnerable populations. These flexibilities allow patients to take part in telehealth visits from wherever they call home and allow for the use of telehealth for low-touch, administrative face-to-face visits prior to recertification for the hospice benefit. 

“Hospice and palliative care being delivered through telehealth is currently not measured and therefore, many virtual visits are not noted or captured in any official record,” said Ben Marcantonio, COO and Interim CEO of NHPCO and HAN. “Patients’ records fail to reflect the full scope of care received and hospice organizations are left without a way to fully reflect the quantity of visits and quality of their work.” 

“Collecting accurate information is critical to drafting long-term policy, and effective guardrails, around the use of telehealth in the future. Tracking telehealth visits and incorporating them into the hospice claim form is a simple, common-sense approach for appropriate telehealth policy,” said Logan Hoover, VP of Policy and Government Relations for NHPCO and Executive Director of HAN.  

List of Supporting Organizations: 

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
Hospice Action Network
American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
American Telemedicine Association 
American Telemedicine Association Action
Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses
Center to Advance Palliative Care
HealthCare Chaplaincy Network
Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association
LeadingAge  
National Association of Homecare and Hospice
The National Palliative Care Research Center
National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation
NAHC Forum of State Associations
NHPCO Council of States
Physician Assistants in Hospice and Palliative Medicine 

The Society of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacists 

Join HAN in advocating for the creation of a new HCPCS code or modifier for telehealth visits in HAN’s Action Center. 

HAN and NHPCO also recently signed a 300-organization-strong stakeholder letter to Senate leadership, led by the Alliance for Connected Care, urging the extension of a wide variety of telehealth flexibilities.  

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Press Contact: 
Madison Summers 
NHPCO Communications 
Ph: 571-412-3973 

For Immediate Release
September 1, 2022 

(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organizations (NHPCO) and its affiliate group, the Hospice Action Network (HAN) announced that after an extensive search for the ideal candidate, Logan Hoover has stepped into the role of Vice President of Policy and Government Relations. In this position, Hoover leads activities related to the development and advancement of the policy and political agenda at NHPCO. He also serves as Executive Director of HAN and Chair of the group’s Political Action Committee. 

Hoover previously served as Director of Legislative Affairs for NHPCO and interim Executive Director of HAN. Prior to joining the organization, he served as Legislative Director for former Congressman Tom Reed (NY-23). Congressman Reed was a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and a Congressional leader on hospice legislation, including the bipartisan Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA) Act and Helping Our Senior Population in Comfort Environments (HOSPICE) Act. 

“We are thrilled to have Logan lead NHPCO’s and HAN’s government relations work for all legislative issues impacting the hospice and palliative care communities. His team plays a crucial role in ensuring we are representing our members’ interests and needs to policy decision makers to ensure the best care for patients and families facing end-of-life care,” said Ben Marcantonio, interim CEO of NHPCO and HAN. 

“I am looking forward to continuing to work with healthcare leaders and members of Congress to make inroads on improving access and ensuring high-quality care for all Americans facing a life-limiting illness. Our team’s goals include expanding an ongoing and influential presence on Capitol Hill, mobilizing a growing national network of Hospice Advocates, and facilitating an interactive community that connects the public with advocacy efforts for hospice and palliative care,” said Hoover.  

Originally from Long Island, New York, Hoover graduated from The George Washington University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Master of Professional Studies in political management. He lives in Alexandria with his wife, Taylor, and their treeing walker coonhound, Chewy. 

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Press Contact:
Madison Summers
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973 

For Immediate Release
August 19, 2022 

Christopher Arnold Brings Health Care Association Experience to the Position  

Alexandria, VA – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) announced that Christopher Arnold has joined the NHPCO team as Vice President of Finance. Arnold brings to the position more than 25 years of experience in finance, accounting, operations, compliance, administration, and management. He has worked in leadership roles in health care association accounting and finance teams since 2006 and comes most recently from the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), where he served as Senior Director, Financial Reporting and Compliance. 

NHPCO CFO, Cathy Gibney, CPA, said, “Christopher has exactly the kind of experience we were looking for in this position. With his background in both the association and business worlds, he is going to help ensure that NHPCO continues to provide world-class financial support services for our members and partners.” 

Arnold commented, “I look forward to working with the NHPCO staff to continue improving our finance systems to ensure smooth operations. NHPCO members provide essential care to patients and families across the country. I am excited to join the organization that supports them in that mission.”  

During his time at APhA he consolidated the organizations banking service providers and implemented a paperless payables system. Both projects reduced costs and generated efficiencies in processing. Prior to joining APhA, Arnold served the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) for ten years, first as Controller and later as Director, Finance and Administration. During that time Arnold was responsible for the office relocation project that entailed site selection, office build out, implementation of new information technology and communication vendors and the move and set up of the new office. The project was completed on time and under budget. From 1996 to 2006, he served in various business analysis, management, and finance roles at companies including KMPG, Nextel Communications, and Beers & Cutler. Arnold earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Virginia Tech. He resides in Falls Church Virginia with his wife Christie and dog Kona. He enjoys spending time outdoors running, biking, and taking backpacking trips with friends. 

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Press Contact:
Madison Summers
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973

For Immediate Release
August 11, 2022 

(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and its advocacy affiliate, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), are pleased to endorse the Travel Nursing Agency Transparency Study Act (S.4352/H.R. 8576), sponsored by Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and
Congressman Greg Murphy (R-NC), which will take crucial next steps to better understand the current workforce crisis by requiring the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study and report on the effects of travel nursing agencies on the healthcare industry during the pandemic.

This study includes information on travel nursing agency practices across the country, including any potential price gouging and taking of excessive profits, the difference between how much such agencies charged healthcare institutions and how much they paid their contracted nurses, and the extent to which travel nurse agency practices contribute to workforce shortages.

“Hospices and palliative care providers have experienced nursing shortages pre-COVID, but the pandemic has exacerbated the issue. Hospices cannot compete with the high contract, excessive rates required by travel nursing agencies. These agencies appear to have capitalized on the public health
emergency by charging exorbitant rates,” said Ben Marcantonio, interim President and CEO of NHPCO and President of HAN. “We look forward to continuing to work with Senator Cramer and Congressman Murphy to garner additional support and prioritize finding immediate workforce solutions to ensure access to quality end-of-life care.”

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Press Contact:
Madison Summers
NHPCO Communications
Ph: 571-412-3973