Hospice News and Research

RSS

Guardian Home Care Holdings sold to AccentCare

Friedman Fleischer & Lowe today announced that it has sold Guardian Home Care Holdings, Inc., a leading provider of home care and hospice services, to AccentCare Inc., one of the nation's fastest growing home healthcare companies.

24 Dec 2010

Health Care at Home: Trends and issues

Leaders in the nation's Health Care at Home movement outlined trends and issues during a webinar for physicians across the country today. The webinar, "Why Health Care is Going Home," offered industry insights and detailed the reasons why home care will play a major role in the future of health care in America.

20 Dec 2010

Home health, hospice patients need to have face-to-face encounter with physician: New Medicare rule

A new federal regulation issued by Medicare in November will create a crisis for approximately 4.5 million home health and hospice service patients. Starting on January 1, homebound elderly and disabled patients as well as hospice patients will now need to have a "face-to-face encounter" with a physician or nurse practitioner if they want to receive care under Medicare.

17 Dec 2010

New study records show dementia residents seek hospice benefit

A new study of nursing home records shows more residents with dementia are seeking a hospice benefit and using it longer. The study also estimates that 40 percent of nursing home residents die with some degree of dementia.

16 Dec 2010

Medicaid budget challenges continue to plague states, threaten safety net

States across the country continue to face challenges related to their Medicaid budgets and their abilities to provide care to a growing population of poor and disabled people.

15 Dec 2010

Private insurers more effective in controlling health care spending than Medicare

Private insurers appear to be more effective in controlling health care spending differences between two Texas cities than Medicare, according to researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health. Researchers found that sharp disparities in per-capita Medicare healthcare spending between McAllen and El Paso were significantly diminished when private insurance paid for health care costs in the under-65 population.

8 Dec 2010

LHC Group alters 2010 guidance due to reduction in Medicare reimbursement

LHC Group, Inc., a national provider of home health and hospice services, announced today that the Company is adjusting its full year earnings per share outlook for 2010 solely due to the 4.89% reduction to Medicare reimbursement that was outlined in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2011, which was released on November 3, 2010, following the Company's third quarter earnings call.

4 Dec 2010

Health law repeal murky as groups press officials, target specific provisions

In an analysis, The New York Times, reports that while "Republicans have a big majority in the House, Democratic control of the Senate and the presidential veto power make repeal [of the health law] or major change impossible. [But] there is another reason. More than a few Republicans know that while the politics of trying to nitpick provisions and curb funding are appealing, any wholesale repeal of major provisions of the health care overhaul is likely to generate a backlash.

23 Nov 2010

Physicians and consumers agree on quality of hospice and amount of service, reveals survey

Physicians say that hospice is great, but there's too little service and it's offered too late. That's one of the top findings of a new national survey conducted to compare attitudes and perceptions about hospice care among consumers and physicians. Consumers agree with physicians on the quality of hospice and the amount of service that should be provided. But when it comes to the right time to discuss hospice—it's an individual preference.

20 Nov 2010

Study shows end-of-life care varies widely

A new study released by the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care finds that "America's hospitals treat patients with life-ending cancers very differently in their final months, with some deploying chemotherapy and other life-prolonging efforts until the end and others directing most of their patients into hospice," reports Kaiser Health News. The aggressive care may not be best for patients, and hospice may be a "more humane way to die," the report argues. A point the report doesn't address: that aggressive treatment "also adds to the drain on Medicare's pocketbook."

18 Nov 2010

Hospice or hospital? Where you die depends on where you live

America's hospitals treat patients with life-ending cancers very differently in their final months, with some deploying chemotherapy and other life-prolonging efforts until the end and others directing most of their patients into hospice, a new study finds.

18 Nov 2010

Survey on palliative care for patients with dementia

A new national survey conducted by researchers from Indiana University and the Regenstrief Institute has found that while palliative care may be available for those with dementia, there are significant barriers to providing or receiving services to relieve the pain, eating difficulties and other symptoms associated with dementia.

17 Nov 2010

Dartmouth Atlas Project releases new report on cancer care

A new report released today from the Dartmouth Atlas Project showing that individuals in some areas of the country are far less likely to receive comfort care in accordance with their wishes has drawn the attention of the nation's hospice and palliative care community.

17 Nov 2010

Medicare roundup: Payment cuts irk healthcare industry; officials mull new prostate-cancer treatment

Doctors across the United States are taking a wait-and-see approach while Congress decides whether or not to allow a scheduled 23% cut in Medicare reimbursement rates to take effect on Dec. 1.

17 Nov 2010

Gentiva third quarter total net revenues increase 38% to $387.8 million

Gentiva Health Services, Inc., a leading provider of home health and hospice services, today reported third quarter 2010 results.

9 Nov 2010

One-third of breast cancer survivors rate breast-conserving treatments as fair

A third of breast cancer survivors who received the breast-conserving treatments lumpectomy and radiation rate the appearance of their post-treatment breast as only "fair" or "poor" in comparison to their untreated breast, according to a new University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine study that will be presented today at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in San Diego.

3 Nov 2010

City of Butler declares November as Home Care and Hospice Month

Today officially launches Home Care and Hospice Month and VNA of Western Pennsylvania is excited to celebrate the many health-related services that can be brought into a person's home to help restore health and maintain independence.

3 Nov 2010

Veterans deserve best health care coverage

The nation pauses to honor its veterans on November 11 for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. Naturally, we want our veterans to be taken care of, especially when it comes to their health. Those who have served their country through the United States military have several options when it comes to their health care coverage.

3 Nov 2010

Dementia patients should receive high-quality palliative care

The system for hospice admissions for patients with advanced dementia, which is a terminal illness, should be guided by patient and family preference for comfort, not estimated life expectancy, says a new study published in the Nov. 3 Journal of the American Medical Association by the Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

3 Nov 2010

Provident launches Principals Fund I with $25 million of committed capital

Provident Healthcare Ventures, LLC is pleased to announce the launch of its inaugural Principals Fund I with $25 million of committed capital. All capital invested in the Fund will be provided by the principals of Provident, affirming their belief that providing early-stage healthcare services companies with crucial resources, such as capital and operating expertise, will significantly increase enterprise value over the life of the investment.

2 Nov 2010