Tag: 2024 Press Releases

For Immediate Release
July 11, 2024 

(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the NAHC-NHPCO Alliance mourn the recent passing of Dr. Bernice Catherine Harper, MSW, MScPH, LLD, and celebrate her remarkable life of leadership and service to our professional community and the world. Dr. Harper’s lifelong leadership had profound and lasting positives impact across social work; hospice care; and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).

Dr. Harper was one of the first Black women to earn a Master of Science in public health from Harvard University, among other notable distinctions. Her career trajectory encompassed pivotal roles at institutions like the City of Hope National Medical Center, where she honed her expertise in hospice care and social work. As an author, Dr. Harper’s influential works, including “Death: The Coping Mechanism of the Health Professional,” highlighted the complexities of death and dying and provided insights into coping mechanisms for healthcare professionals. Her contributions continue to shape the landscape of hospice and palliative care today.

In 1999, Dr. Harper played a pivotal role in launching what was then known as the Foundation for Hospices in sub-Saharan Africa, which had a particular focus on supporting AIDS patients. The organization, which was a program of NHPCO from 2004 to 2017, is now known as Global Partners in Care. It supports access to compassionate care around the world through partnerships, research and education, and raising awareness of the need for access to hospice and palliative care.

Dr. Harper’s advocacy also impacted hospice care domestically, particularly in her pivotal role in integrating hospice care benefits into Medicare. To date, the Medicare Hospice Benefit has made dignified end-of-life care accessible to nearly 30 million Americans, and counting. She worked with NHPCO on ensuring access to hospice care for groups who have been historically marginalized, including serving as a founding member and Chair of what was then known as the National Hospice Organization’s Task Force on Access to Hospice Care by Minority Groups and is now known as the NHPCO Diversity Advisory Council. In 1993, Dr. Harper was honored with the NHPCO Person of the Year Award. A few weeks prior to her death, NHPCO announced a new award that honors Dr. Harper’s legacy. The Dr. Bernice Catherine Harper Trailblazer Award will honor NHPCO members who exemplify Dr. Harper’s spirit of innovation and compassion, her commitment to advancing DEIB within their organizations, and her passion for providing high-quality, culturally appropriate, person-centered services.

“Dr. Harper was an inspirational leader for all of us. She showed so many hospice leaders, including myself as a provider, how to develop and implement culturally appropriate programs and outreach. That legacy will live forever in the form of better care, and an ever-growing focus on accessibility,” said Ben Marcantonio, Interim CEO of NHPCO, and Chief Integration Officer for the NAHC-NHPCO Alliance. “One thing that made Dr. Harper a strong leader was her presence and engagement within the community. Anyone who took part in NHPCO conferences and National Hospice Foundation Galas when Dr. Harper was active will remember her as a key contributor to the events and thought leadership that drove our community forward. She will be deeply missed. We extend our sympathies to Dr. Harper’s family, and our gratitude for the many ways she shaped our past, present, and future.”

About NHPCO and the NAHC-NHPCO Alliance

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 is currently in the process of affiliating with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) into a new national organization.

The NAHC-NHPCO Alliance brings together 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 home care 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 Contact
Elyssa Katz
Ekatz@nhpco.org
571-281-0220

For Immediate Release
PHOTO LINK
June 18, 2024

Washington, D.C. and Alexandria, VA – On June 10, the Board Chairs and chief executive officers of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) met in Washington, D.C. to formally sign the affiliation agreement between the two leading organizations in the care at home community.

NAHC and NHPCO are the two largest organizations representing and advocating for providers of care in the home and the millions of disabled, elderly, and dying Americans who depend on that care. With more than 90 years of experience between them, NAHC and NHPCO provide world class education to help their members deliver the best possible care and tireless advocacy to expand access to home and community-based services.

“The NAHC-NHPCO Alliance will be the leading authority and unifying voice of the care at home community,” said NAHC Board Chair and Chair-Elect of the Alliance Kenneth Albert. “The leadership of both organizations have worked for 18 months to make this happen and the talented staff at NAHC and NHPCO are already hard at work integrating the two organizations. Together, we will make home the center of health care.”

“This alliance between NHPCO and NAHC will create the most powerful voice the care at home community has ever had,” said NHPCO Board Chair and Vice Chair-Elect of the Alliance Melinda Gruber. “For members, it means access to the best education and expert advice, as well as a strong advocate for sensible policies that help providers deliver the best possible care to the millions of Americans who need it the most.”

“The affiliation of NAHC and NHPCO is a historic event,” said NAHC President and CEO William A. Dombi. “Unifying the voice of health care at home has been a longstanding goal of NAHC, as it is the essence of the original formation of NAHC in 1982. Combining our two organizations will significantly strengthen that voice for the benefit of our members and the patients they serve.”

“The community of providers delivering care primarily in people’s homes is stronger when we work together,” said NHPCO Interim CEO, Ben Marcantonio. “We have demonstrated that strength in recent years with shared advocacy efforts and joint research that have helped change the conversation in Washington and beyond. Aligning NHPCO and NAHC into one new organization will mean we can better serve our members well into the future.”

The signing of the agreement takes NAHC and NHPCO into a new phase of an ongoing process. Beginning July 1, the organizations will begin integrating operations, a process that is expected to take the rest of the year.  That process will take place under the name the NAHC-NHPCO Alliance while the future name of the organization is determined. Considerable progress on a new name has been made and is in process of trademarking approvals. Meanwhile, a robust search for a CEO for the new organization is under way, with dozens of qualified candidates being considered.

Press Contacts:

• • • Thomas Threlkeld, NAHC Director of Communications
      • • tom@nahc.org // 202-547-7424
    • Elyssa Katz, NHPCO Marketing and Communications Manager
      • • ekatz@nhpco.org // 571-281-0220

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About National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC)
The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is the voice of home care and hospice. NAHC represents the nation’s 33,000 home care and hospice providers, along with the more than two million nurses, therapists, and aides they employ. These caregivers provide vital services to Americans who are aged, disabled, and ill. Some 12 million patients depend on home care and hospice providers, who depend on NAHC for the best in advocacy, education, and information. NAHC is a nonprofit organization that helps its members maintain the highest standards of care. To learn more, visit http://www.nahc.org.

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.

For Immediate Release
PHOTO LINK
June 13, 2024

(Alexandria, VA) – More than 100 hospice and palliative care advocates from across the country met with over 150 congressional offices this week to discuss key legislative and regulatory priorities for ensuring and expanding access to hospice and palliative care. The meetings were part of Hospice Action Week, hosted in Washington, DC by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and its advocacy affiliate, the Hospice Action Network (HAN).

Hospice Action Week brings together leaders, advocates, and supporters from across the country to unite as one voice to drive positive, legislative change for the betterment of the Medicare Hospice Benefit. This year’s events included a virtual component, giving advocates who were not able to attend in person the opportunity to write letters of support to their Members of Congress on key policy priorities including program integrity measures, telehealth flexibilities, workforce issues, and more.

“The cornerstone of effective advocacy is storytelling. It’s about sharing why hospice holds personal significance and why serious illness and end-of-life care policy should resonate with our lawmakers,” said Logan Hoover, NHPCO’s VP of Policy & Government Relations. “From Hawaii to Rhode Island, advocates from 35 diverse states came to DC this year. The relationships they’re building with Members of Congress hold the potential to shape the future of the healthcare landscape.”

This year, advocates focused on a variety of key issues during their congressional meetings:

• • • Protecting care for patients and families through program integrity efforts, fixes to the hospice Special Focus Program to ensure proper identification of poor-performing hospices, telehealth flexibilities, expansion of bereavement services, and ensuring access to care for our nation’s Veterans.
    • Making meaningful benefit improvements to increase access and advance health equity by addressing workforce crisis by allowing practitioners to perform at the top of their licensure, reforming the outdates six-month prognosis barrier, enabling concurrent care, and advancing health equity by removing structural barriers to care.
    • Innovation in serious illness care delivery and payment by building upon previous, successful demonstration models through a community-based palliative care benefit and ensuring a seamless ending to the hospice VBID component through support for providers.
    • Protecting access and expanding quality by ensuring providers can offer the right care at the right time by securing an adequate level of reimbursement and ensuring resources are going directly to patient care by eliminating burdensome regulations that jeopardize access while strengthening effective program integrity measures to increase care quality.

In addition to advocate meetings with congressional offices on Wednesday, Hospice Action Week also featured various other meetings of hospice and palliative care leaders from across the country. Tuesday’s highlights included a Meeting of the Minds bringing together national leaders from NHPCO’s We Honor Veterans (WHV) program as well as a Combined Issues Lunch where advocates learned how to bridge the partisan gap in Congress by hearing from congressional staffers Brayden Woods (Congresswoman Van Duyne’s office, R-TX) and Asha Samuel (Congressman Blumenauer’s office, D-OR) on the importance of finding bipartisan solutions to protect and enhance the Medicare Hospice Benefit. The evening training included a presentation from Brad Fitch of the Congressional Management Foundation on how to build upon connections with one’s representatives after the fly-in is over.

HAN also presented three MyHospice Ambassador annual awards on Tuesday, recognizing advocates who stood out, led by example, and took action in 2023.

• • • 2023 Impactful Voice Award: Elleah Kes Tooker, Project Management Specialist, Indiana University School of Medicine
    • 2023 Mentor of the Year: Paul Ledford, President & CEO, Florida Hospice & Palliative Care Association
    • 2023 Ambassador of the Year: Tim Ingram, EVP of Interoperability, Axxess

New this year was the presentation of two inaugural awards:

• • • 2024 Advocate for Change Award – an award which celebrates a standout individual who boldly tackles challenges in their community by identifying and championing legislative solutions. This year’s honoree is Denise Formolo, Dickinson County Veteran Service Officer and Vice President of the Michigan Association of County Veteran Counselors who identified the issue that led to the creation of H.R. 234/ S. 1330 “Gerald’s Law Act;” a bill which was advocated for during Hospice Action Week.
    • 2024 Courageous Conversations Award – this recognition is presented, when merited, to a standout individual who has inspired and educated the public on the value of hospice. This year’s honoree is former US President Jimmy Carter who sparked a national dialogue when he made the courageous decision to publicly share that he elected hospice care for his end-of-life journey.

On Thursday, the NHPCO Council of States, a network of leaders of state hospice and palliative care organizations from across the country, met for its annual meeting and recognized two state associations for their exceptional contributions with the 2024 NHPCO Council of States Trailblazer Award. Established in 2012, the NHPCO Trailblazer Award recognizes state organizations demonstrating high levels of excellence, innovation, and leadership that expand access to hospice and palliative care, promote quality, and increase awareness. This year’s honorees are:

• • • Kokua Mau, Hawaii
    • California Hospice and Palliative Care Association

NHPCO and HAN celebrate the achievements of this year’s Hospice Action Week on behalf of hospice and palliative care providers nationwide. Looking forward, NHPCO and HAN’s advocacy will continue to evolve as we fight on behalf of the greater serious-illness care community.

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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 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 HAN
The Hospice Action Network is the advocacy affiliate of NHPCO. HAN works with provider members, state organizations, national healthcare organizations and other relevant stakeholders to advance the NHPCO legislative and regulatory agenda. HAN advocates urge Congress and the Administration to support policies that promote equitable access to high-quality hospice and palliative care for patients and families.

Press Contact
Elyssa Katz
571-281-0220

For Immediate Release
June 7, 2024

(Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) responded to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) recently revised guidance regarding the implementation of the hospice certifying physician enrollment requirement.

NHPCO and NAHC identified that some instruction provided by CMS was inconsistent with established law and regulations regarding the certification of a patient’s terminal illness for new hospice elections after the first benefit period. That instruction, if implemented, could have resulted in major negative impacts on hospices and the patients and families they serve. Both organizations requested that CMS retract the guidance to remain consistent with regulation and statute. On June 6, CMS rescinded its guidance in order to align with current regulation, offering clarity for providers.

This retraction is a direct result of NHPCO and NAHC’s ongoing engagement with the agency and represents a critical win for providers in avoiding undue regulatory and administrative burdens. This follows CMS’s previous delay of the requirement from May 1 to June 3, in response to concerns raised by NHPCO and NAHC.

“We thank CMS for its engagement and partnership on this issue. Considering the staffing constraints many providers currently face, this clarification frees up both operational and physician resources to be best allocated to delivering the highest-quality care to patients and families,” said Ben Marcantonio, COO and Interim CEO for NHPCO.

“NAHC supports the reasons for the certifying physician enrollment requirement and appreciates CMS’ ongoing engagement on the implementation of the claims processing edits for this requirement. We thank CMS for rescinding the instruction that was not consistent with statute and regulation and had spurred many questions and concerns from hospices.  This has alleviated confusion in the industry and avoids disruptive negative impacts,” said Bill Dombi, President for NAHC.

NHPCO and NAHC will continue to work closely with CMS to gain further clarification around remaining inconsistencies in the claim completion guidelines.

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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 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 NAHC
The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is the voice of home care and hospice. NAHC represents the nation’s 33,000 home care and hospice providers, along with the more than two million nurses, therapists, and aides they employ. These caregivers provide vital services to Americans who are aged, disabled, and ill. Some 12 million patients depend on home care and hospice providers, who depend on NAHC for the best in advocacy, education, and information. NAHC is a nonprofit organization that helps its members maintain the highest standards of care. To learn more, visit nahc.org.

Press Contact
NHPCO
Elyssa Katz
571-281-0220

For Immediate Release
May 10, 2024

(Alexandria, VA) – This week marked a series of triumphs for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and its advocacy arm, the Hospice Action Network (HAN), in collaboration with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC). Notably, the trade associations spearheaded discussions with the House of Representatives’ Ways and Means Committee, resulting in crucial advancements in telehealth flexibility for hospice care.

The passage of the “Preserving Telehealth, Hospital, and Ambulance Access Act” through committee signifies a pivotal moment for the future of hospice care. This legislation extends telehealth capabilities for hospice recertifications, acknowledging the vital role telehealth plays, particularly in rural and densely populated urban areas. NHPCO achieved significant wins with two face-to-face (F2F) provisions: a two-year extension permitting virtual F2F visits in almost all cases, and a mandate for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to collect F2F visit data. These provisions reflect a concerted effort to modernize hospice care, ensuring it remains adaptable to evolving healthcare landscapes.

HAN’s meticulous engagement with the Ways & Means Committee staff also successfully thwarted potential cuts, safeguarding the capacity of hospices to provide essential care to vulnerable populations.

“With an aging population and escalating demand for end-of-life care, particularly in underserved regions, protecting hospice funding is imperative to guarantee compassionate and dignified care for all individuals in their final days,” said NHPCO COO and Interim CEO, Ben Marcantonio.

In an ongoing commitment to uphold program integrity, Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) spearheaded a bipartisan letter to CMS, joined by 38 lawmakers including a majority of the Ways and Means Committee, seeking accountability on recent reforms aimed at combatting hospice fraud and abuse. The letter follows multiple congressional inquiries led by Blumenauer and Van Duyne in 2023 urging CMS to address program integrity within the hospice benefit.

“CMS must take decisive action against bad actors tarnishing the reputation of hospice care,” asserted NHPCO VP of Policy and Government Relations, Logan Hoover. “This concerted effort, driven by our Congressional allies, builds upon nearly two years of grassroots, policy, and regulatory initiatives aimed at combating fraudulent practices within hospice care.”

NHPCO, alongside VITAS’ Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joseph Shega, convened on Capitol Hill Thursday morning to share insights from the NORC “Value of Hospice Study” with the GOP Doctors’ Caucus, a group comprised of 19 Republican House members who are also trained as doctors, dentists, or pharmacists. Presenting key findings from the study underscored the critical need to preserve and expand funding for hospice services.

NHPCO and HAN remain steadfast in their commitment to collaborating with lawmakers to enact policies that ensure equitable access to high-quality end-of-life care for all Americans.

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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 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 HAN:

The Hospice Action Network is the advocacy affiliate of NHPCO. HAN works with provider members, state organizations, national healthcare organizations and other relevant stakeholders to advance the NHPCO legislative and regulatory agenda. HAN advocates urge Congress and the Administration to support policies that promote equitable access to high-quality hospice and palliative care for patients and families.

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

For Immediate Release
April 15, 2024

(Alexandria, VA) – CaringInfo, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), has launched a new consumer blog, Insights, offering timely and practical content on serious-illness care and services from a variety of perspectives in both English and Spanish. Insights’ monthly posts will expand consumer access to information, help the community learn from others’ experiences and best practices, and improve the public’s ability to make informed decisions about care before a crisis.

CaringInfo also offers more information about advance directives and free advance directives and instructions for all 50 states plus Puerto Rico and Washington DC in both English and Spanish, downloadable as PDF files.

In honor of National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16, Insights has launched with three posts on advance care planning and the forms completed throughout the process.

• • • Making Your Healthcare Wishes and Medical Choices Known
    • Advance Directive vs. Living Will: Which Do You Need?
    • Types of Documents to Make Healthcare Wishes Known: Advance Directives, Living Wills, PoAs, DNRs, and POLSTs

Ben Marcantonio, NHPCO COO and Interim CEO said, “NHPCO sees National Healthcare Decisions Day as an important opportunity to educate healthcare providers and consumers about advance care planning and empower all to make their wishes for their care known. The CaringInfo blog provides us with a new, accessible outlet to connect with both our members and the communities they serve.”

Advance care planning includes completing an advance directive – sometimes known as a living will – and appointing a healthcare power of attorney – someone to make healthcare decisions on your behalf when you are no longer able to. Advance care planning also means sharing this information with your loved ones to ensure all wishes are honored.

Learn more about advance care planning and read the first Insights posts now.

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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 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

For Immediate Release
March 28, 2024

CMS Proposes 2.6% Payment Update, Insufficient to Meet Rising Cost Pressures

(Alexandria, VA) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) published the following statement in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule which would update key components of hospice reimbursement and regulations in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025.

“The 2.6% proposed rate increase for hospices is not enough to support the continued delivery of hospice care amidst rising cost pressures and ongoing workforce constraints affecting hospices nationwide,” said NHPCO COO and Interim CEO, Ben Marcantonio. “To continue providing the high level of care our patients and their families deserve, hospices require a payment rate that accurately reflects the current economic challenges. We know that hospice care has demonstrated $3.5 billion in annual savings for Medicare, which underscores the critical importance of investing in hospice to ensure continued beneficiary access to quality end-of-life care.”

NHPCO is closely evaluating the proposals related to the implementation of the Hospice Outcome and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) assessment tool. Marcantonio commented, “The HOPE Assessment Tool represents a dramatic shift in how hospice care quality is measured and reported. We will continue working with CMS to ensure that this new tool will serve to enhance, not hinder, the delivery of compassionate, person-centered hospice care.”

NHPCO commends CMS for taking steps to explore the possibility of a separate payment mechanism for high-intensity palliative care services in acknowledgment of both the substantial benefits these services offer to patients and the resource-intensive nature of their delivery.

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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 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

For Immediate Release
March 12, 2024

Findings Reveal Current Audit Process’ Shortcomings

(Washington, DC and Alexandria, VA) – Following a series of meetings with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Members of Congress on efforts to  improve and protect hospice program integrity, 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) – today release findings of a hospice provider survey that underscores the urgency and need for CMS and Congress to act. Previously shared with both CMS and Members of Congress, the survey findings provide policymakers with important on-the-ground examples of shortcomings in the current audit process. Areas of emphasis during these conversations included:

• • • The need for hospice audits to appropriately target bad actors and those with deficient quality indicators.
    • A request for CMS to be more transparent regarding the outcomes of the audit adjudication process, including by making denial and appeals data available to providers and the public.
    • Reemphasis on the importance of auditor training to ensure expertise on hospice specific issues, which are distinctly separate from those faced by hospitals or home health agencies.

Throughout 2023, the national hospice trade groups’ advocacy emphasized the need for reforms to ensure program integrity and presented 34 recommendations to CMS. To date, half of these recommendations have been implemented. We look forward to continued work with CMS to improve the audit process to ensure it is equitable and targets genuine instances of fraud, waste, and abuse that negatively impacts well-meaning providers, patients, and the Medicare program.

LeadingAge, NAHC, NHPCO, and NPHI continue to work closely with bipartisan congressional champions to discuss potential legislative solutions including enhanced transparency.

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Press Contacts:

Lisa Sanders 
LeadingAge, Media Relations
202-508-9407

Thomas Threlkeld
NAHC, Communications
202-547-7424

Madison Summers 
NHPCO, Public Affairs
571-412-3973

Matt Wilkinson
NPHI, Communications
801-615-4207

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.

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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 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

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.

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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 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