CMS Health Care Innovation Awards - Round Two

CMS has announced a second round of funding under the Health Care Innovation Awards. CMS will spend up to $1 billion for awards and evaluation of projects from across the country that test new payment and service delivery models that will deliver better care and lower costs for Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program enrollees.

In this second round, CMS is seeking proposals in the following categories:

• Models that are designed to rapidly reduce costs in outpatient and/or post-acute settings.
• Models that improve care for populations with specialized needs.
• Models that test approaches for specific types of providers to transform financial and clinical models.
• Models that improve the health of specific populations.

Applicants must submit a non-binding letters of intent to apply by June 28, 2013; 3:00pm EDT.

More information on CMS Grants Notice CMS-1C1-14-001 is available online at the grants.gov website.

Devastation in Oklahoma: A Message from Don Schumacher

The destruction caused by the violent tornado that hit Oklahoma earlier this week – and in the violent storms occurring due to the severe weather conditions in our nation’s heartland – is overwhelming. Particularly heart wrenching is the devastation and loss of life seen in Moore, Oklahoma.

As the full impact of the devastation continues to unfold, NHPCO extends its thoughts and prayers to all those whose lives have been affected.  As hospice and palliative care professionals, we recognize the significance of loss within a person’s life, we also understand how those not directly affected may identify with victims and struggle with their emotions. Ultimately, tragedy can show people they have more resiliency and strength then they realized.

For those programs and professionals providing care, we offer our respect and admiration for the challenges faced in continuing to provide the compassionate services that are the hallmark of hospice palliative care. And to all hospices and palliative care programs forced to reach beyond their previously known limits, we salute you. We honor your dedication to serve beyond what could ever be expected.  Your commitment and courage reflect positively and shine a bright light on all those providing and receiving care. 

I also salute the first responders who were on the ground as soon as the tornado lifted to help those in need. There are many moving examples of neighbors coming to the aid of neighbors and the broader community. While we cannot stop the forces of Mother Nature, we learn that the care and support of family and friends is essential. 

NHPCO is reaching out to the state organization and other contacts in the region to get an assessment of how the hospice palliative care community has weathered this disaster. The needs of those who have been hurt and the extensive damage done to homes and businesses will take time to address, and those needs will be significant.

When our country suffers a disaster like this, all attention seems to focus on the devastation and loss. At a time like this it is so important that we monitor how our children may be affected by what they may be seeing on television or news reports. And even for those of us who are fully grown, it’s important that we take note of how the images of destruction might be impacting each one of us.

NHF Disaster Relief Fund Some of you may be aware of the Disaster Relief Fund created by the National Hospice Foundation to support the hospice palliative care community when disaster overwhelms regularly-available resources.  NHF works to make funds available to our state organizations as they respond to recovery efforts of providers at the local level.  In the past, funds have also gone to support grief and bereavement programs to foster community healing following traumatic events. We welcome your support of the disaster fund and to enhance NHF’s ability to care for the hospice palliative care community.  To donate, please visit www.nationalhospicefoundation.org/DonateDisaster

 J. Donald Schumacher, PsyD
President and CEO
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Comments on CMS Proposed Payment FY2014 Update for Hospice

On Monday, April 29, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a proposed rule which would update the fiscal year (FY) 2014 hospice reimbursement rates.  The CMS notice claimed that hospices would receive a 1.1 percent market basket increase in their reimbursement.

NHPCO's official comment letter to CMS will be submitted as instructed; however, J. Donald Schumacher, president and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization offers the following public comments on the proposed rule.

Beyond the policy considerations, the numbers just do not add up. For CMS to characterize hospices as receiving a positive update, much less an $180 million dollar increase, without factoring in the impact of the sequester is disingenuous.  The truth is, under current law, CMS’ proposed payment update would mean a -.9 percent decrease for the nation’s hospice community.

Hospices are already struggling with an increased regulatory burden and productivity cuts associated with PPACA.  For the hospice community, which has a high proportion of Medicare/Medicaid patients (almost 90 percent) and an average margin of 4.6 percent – without even taking into account the impact of sequestration – any proposed negative update could be catastrophic.

This is a time when access to hospice should be encouraged, not threatened.  Virtually every responsible policy maker acknowledges that more end of life care patients should have access to the high quality and compassionate services offered by the nation’s hospice programs.  

New research out of Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine, published in the March 2013 issue of Health Affairs, (affirming previous cost saving research from Duke University) found that hospice enrollment saves money for Medicare and improves quality from Medicare beneficiaries by reducing emergency room stays, ICU days and hospital readmissions.  And yet, we’re already seeing layoffs and consolidation in the hospice community.  The proposed negative update sends a message to the hospice community to expect more of this disturbing trend.

J. Donald Schumacher, PsyD
President and CEO
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

 

e-hospice-USA is a New Resource for Healthcare Professionals Powered by NHPCO

Designed to Help Hospice Referral Sources Better Understand End-of-life Care Options

ehospiceUSA, a new resource designed to help healthcare and other professionals that care for patients and families facing serious and life-limiting illness, was unveiled at the opening plenary session of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s leadership conference on April 25, 2013.

Powered by NHPCO, ehospiceUSA is a free resource created specifically for hospice referral sources, such as physicians, hospital discharge planners, and other professionals who will benefit from a comprehensive understanding of the ways that hospice care will help their patients. 

“Any professional caring for or supporting patients and families who may be appropriate for hospice will find useful information on ehospiceUSA,” said J. Donald Schumacher, president and CEO of NHPCO.

“One of the most frequent comments we hear from the families we care for, is that they wish they had known about hospice earlier. ehospiceUSA will help clarify what hospice is and how it can help people, with the goal of ensuring more timely access to the services hospice offers,” added Schumacher.

In addition to the resources for professionals, ehospiceUSA also offers information on hospice and advance care planning that can be shared with patients and family caregivers.

ehospice recognizes the potential to connect people working in hospice and palliative care using the technology available today.  ehospice is available as a free iPhone app, as well as a mobile web app, which is compatible with most modern smart phones.  There is also an updated iPad app launching today. 

In addition to ehospiceUSA, there are 10 other country and regional editions covering the latest news, commentary and analysis from around the world. Available editions include England, Canada, South Africa, Kenya, India, Australia and others.

 

The brainchild of the UK-based organization, Help the Hospices, the goals of ehospice are to improve patient care through access to information, to foster a sense of community in hospice and palliative care worldwide and to give a voice to people associated with hospice and palliative care, whether as professionals, volunteers, patients or family caregivers.

“ehospiceUSA does not replace the NHPCO website, rather, it’s our hope that hospice and palliative care providers in the U.S. will share ehospiceUSA as a helpful resource with the referral sources in their communities that might benefit from a better understanding of how hospice works and the many benefits it would offer patients under their care,” noted Schumacher.

Find this new resource at:  http://www.ehospice.com/usa.

Policy Symposium: Conversations Before the Crisis

NHPCO and Hospice Action Network will host a Policy Symposium, "Conversations Before the Crisis: The Intersection of Family, Faith and Policy," on Tuesday, April 23, 2013.

What role does federal policy play in advance care planning? What opportunities are there for congress to act on the issue? What obstacles stand in their way? NHPCO is proud to announce that several members of congress will join Conversations Before the Crisis to tackle these issues.

Featuring:

Senator John Isakson, GA

Senator Ron Wyden, OR

Congressman Phil Roe, TN

About Conversations Before the Crisis:
Communities, families and individuals need to have access to the proper tools in order to have conversations about care needs, wishes and values earlier and throughout the course of a lifetime. The time for a robust and open dialogue by policymakers, care providers, hospice experts, opinion shapers, journalists and religious/spiritual leaders has come. There is no better time than now to start these conversations.

 

Learn more on the HAN website. The event is offered free-of-charge.

 

Join the discussion on twitter: #CB4C

Comments from NHPCO's Don Schumacher on the Tragedy in Boston

It’s April 16, National Healthcare Decisions Day, and people across the nation are focused on the unpredictability of life and the world around us in a way we could not have foreseen. A senseless act of violence in Boston yesterday afternoon at the Boston Marathon has left us horrified, angry, frightened and confused. Very rarely can such violence be explained in any manner that makes sense to rational people.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by the bombings in one of America’s most historic cities.

I began my hospice career as CEO of Hospice West in Boston more than 30 years ago. My daughter, Amelia, son-in-law and two granddaughters live in Boston and I am a frequent visitor. Many of the supporters of our National Hospice Foundation’s Run to Remember program have also participated in this great event in past years. In fact, Amelia and the two girls were watching the marathon waiting for a friend to pass by and had left the race only a short time before the bombing. My fondness for this city runs deep, hence, my urge to share some thoughts with you.

Upon reflection of Monday’s events, I am reminded of the courage and skill of our nation’s first responders and law enforcement. I am touched by the acts of kindness by many who came to the aid of the seriously injured and frightened. I am also reminded of the resilience of the American people.

The world is a different place than when I lived in Boston but our humanity has not changed. Issues involving national security are part of our normal lives. Increased security and awareness are not intended to put us on edge but, rather, to help us to live our lives without feeling controlled by terror or violence.

Today, many of you will care for someone who will end their life’s journey. You will be there for them, and comfort their families as they say a final goodbye and grieve their loss. I know you will care for them with the professionalism and compassion that are hallmarks of hospice care. Your mission to serve others will not be diminished or hampered.

 

Yet, yesterday’s events do affect us. We should allow ourselves time to process what we are seeing and hearing via ongoing newscasts. We are reminded to be attentive to our children and monitor what they may be seeing on the news or on the Internet. Let us also support those heroes who respond in such emergencies and lend an ear to our friends and neighbors who may need to share their fears or concerns without judgment. It’s also an important time to take an extra moment to tell those near to us that we love them.

As we mark National Healthcare Decisions Day, I encourage all of you who are able to consider donating blood in the weeks ahead. The tragedy in Boston demonstrates the importance of this simple act. Let this be one way we honor those who have died or have been injured as we continue to live free from the shadow of terror.

I consider myself blessed to be part of this community.

Don

The 2013 Innovation Intensive is a Special Part of April's MLC

NHPCO's Mary J Labyak Institute for Innovation is proud to present the 2013 Innovation Intensive - an exclusive educational event within the 2013 Management and Leadership Conference.

 

Healthcare is changing every day. New alliances are being formed between health systems, providers, payors and community organizations. NHPCO is offering you a unique opportunity to learn how to participate in alliances, partnerships and contractual agreements designed to meet the needs of the chronically and seriously ill.

The 2013 Innovation Intensive, which is an exclusive event held during the MLC, will focus on how hospices can develop strategic business alliances and partnerships to provide hospice palliative services to people much earlier in their disease process/life.

Faculty will come from outside the hospice community to offer a fresh perpsective on strategic thinking regarding end-of-life care.

Registration for this event within the MLC is only open to NHPCO members who are registered for the Main Conference.  :earn more about this unique offering: http://www.nhpco.org/mlc2013/intensive.