If you have a loved one in Texas who needs end-of-life care, hospice care is a good option to consider. Hospice provides a specific kind of care that makes passing easier and more comfortable for the patient, and it brings peace of mind to the loved ones of the person...
A Unified Program Integrity Contractor (UPIC) audit is an annual check of a hospice's compliance with UPIC guidelines. Texas hospices preparing for an audit should have a plan to identify and correct deficiencies. To prepare, hospices should review the UPIC...
Hospice providers have struggled under the 2014 Budget Control Act. The act reduced Medicare payments to hospice providers and others when the facilities failed to include specific data. The 2% cuts force health care services to work harder to receive complete...
Starting a hospice business in Texas can present a profitable business opportunity. However, you should consider a few key steps in order to ensure that your company achieves success. Market research Before starting a hospice business, you need to conduct market...
CMS has proposed several changes to the regulations that govern Medicare Advantage. Some of the changes affect Medicare Advantage or MA plans in particular, so you'll want to be aware of how CMS's proposed changes might come into play for you in Texas. What does CMS...
Hospice care provides a vital service to people during the last days of their lives. However, hospice owners in Texas experience increasing administrative challenges that may stand in the way of providing essential care. Staffing shortages Like many health care...
As the elderly population grows in Texas and around the country, more people will require end-of-life care. Hospice services and palliative care increasingly help people at this stage. Hospice services care for people prior to death, usually outside of hospitals....
By leveraging the partnerships with providers that they already have, hospices in Texas are now building up new programs that incorporate palliative care. But there are still some obstacles to overcome to make palliative care programs work for everybody. Challenges...
Medicare and Medicaid are the two primary government health programs that benefit many Texans at some time in their life. Medicare typically provides for elderly individuals until they need nursing home residency, but falls short when funding is needed for nursing...
CMMI's financial experts are still hard at work on its upcoming payment models that incorporate palliative care. Many in Texas are hopeful, although there hasn't yet been an announcement made regarding the details of a potential palliative care reimbursement model,...
