THE THREAT TO THE MEDICARE HOSPICE BENEFIT When the Medicare Hospice Benefit initially was established, Congress noted several reservations, including cost-efficiency, fair and equitable reimbursements, and adequate financing.10 These concerns still influence ongoing support for the Medicare Hospice Benefit and are…
THE THREAT TO THE HOSPICE COMMUNITY The dying process is uncertain and unpredictable. In caring for dying patients, hospices may spend more than the per diem rate to meet the needs of some patients experiencing a spike in pain and…
FINANCIAL MANIPULATION, LIMITING CARE AND SERVICES TO MAXIMIZE REVENUE The unique structure of the Medicare Hospice Benefit, an all-inclusive benefit that reimburses providers on a per diem basis, has created the opportunity for exploitation through a number of profiteering practices.…
IS IT TIME TO DISRUPT THE MEDICARE HOSPICE BENEFIT TO PRESERVE THE LEGACY OF HOSPICE? Click on the image or the PDF to download the white paper. Congress approved the Medicare Hospice Benefit in 1981 to create an alternative to…
Ohio’s Hospice has published its first White Paper and is working to ensure that it reaches as many people as possible with an interest in preserving the legacy of the original Hospice movement. You can help. Below are some ideas…
SUMMARY Dame Cicely Saunders’ legacy of merging compassion and science—heart and mind—must be preserved because neither facet alone is sufficient to meet the challenges the healthcare system faces in caring for the dying. Compassion alone cannot sort out the best…
FOUNDATION 4: Research Scientific research on pain management and best practices of care for the dying are key components on which the hospice movement was built. Dr. Saunders combined scientific rigor with the wisdom gained at the bedside of her…
FOUNDATION 3: Provider Education Creating a positive culture in which compassion and science merge is rooted in providing education to physicians about care of the dying. Dr. Saunders encouraged her fellow physicians to find a “new criterion of success” in…
FOUNDATION 2: Physician-Patient Communication There is a definite lack of physician-patient communication about death and dying, a conclusion supported by the Dying in America report, which named it “the most striking area in need of quality improvement”22 for patients nearing the…
FOUNDATION 1: Patient-Centered, Whole-Person Care The hallmark of compassionate end-of-life care is to treat each patient as an individual, listen to his or her needs, and recognize that dying is not just a physical process but an experience of the…