NHPCO NewsLine January 2014 - (Page 6)
continued from previous page
educating Congress about
hospice:
- Streamlined
summary of
the Medicare
Hospice
Benefit
Hospice and Medicare Part D
THE MED
HOSPICE ICARE
BENEFIT
The National
Hospice and
Care Organiza
Palliative
tion
The Medicare
largest members (NHPCO) is the
Hospice Benefit
access to
hip organizat
was established
representing
high-qualit
ion
in 1983 to
y end-of-life
hospice and
provide Medicare
life-limiting
care. Considered
care programs
illness, hospice
palliative
beneficiarie
the model
is a patient-cen
and professio
s with
interdiscipl
the United
inary team
tered, cost-effect for quality care for people
nals in
of healthcare
States. We
facing a
ive philosophy
medical care,
profession
represent
over 3,800
pain manageme
of care that
als to provide
hospice programs
utilizes an
patient's needs
compassio
nt, and emotional
care for the
nate care
that
and wishes.
and spiritual
vast majority
At the center
has the right
support expressly including expert
of
patients in
of hospice
to die pain-free
tailored to
the U.S. NHPCO hospice
and palliative
and with dignity,
support to
the
care is the
committed
allow us to
is
and that our
belief that each
do so.
to improving
families will
of us
end-of-life
care and expandin
receive the
Patients may
necessary
receive
g access
hospice so
home, or residential care at their place
that individua to
of residence
facility), a hospice
ls and
families facing
(including
patients choose
their private
inpatient facility
serious illness,
hospice care
residence,
and grief will
or an acute
death,
nursing
where they
experience
care hospital.
reside.
Table 1. Location
the best
care that humankin
66% of
of Hospice
d can offer.
Patients at
Location of
Death 1
Death
The Hospice
Action Network
Patient's Place
an NHPCO
of Residence
,
2011
affiliate and
Private Residence
hospice advocac
national
2010
66.4%
y organiza
Nursing Home
is dedicate
66.7%
41.6%
d to preservin tion,
expandin
g and
Residentia
g access
l Facility
41.1%
18.3%
care in America. to hospice
Hospice Inpatient
18.0%
6.6%
Facility
Our mission
to advocate
Acute Care
is
, with one
Hospital
7.3%
26.1%
voice, for
policies that
ensure the
Figure 1.
21.9%
7.4%
for patients
best care
Interdisci
plinary Team
and families
11.4%
the end of
facing
An interdiscip
life.
linary team
of profession
responsibl
We fight to
als is
e for the care
ensure compass
of each hospice
high-quality
ionate,
patient.
Hospice focuses
care
on caring,
facing a life-limitinfor all Americans
hospice, support
not curing.
g illness by:
Under
is provided
loved ones
to the patient's
* Expandin
as well.
g an ongoing
and
influential
presence
WHO REC
on Capitol
* Mobilizin
EIVES HO
Hill,
g a growing
SPICE CA
A patient is
RE
Hospice Advocate network of
eligible for
hospice care
s througho
determine
the nation,
if a
s
ut
* Empowe
ring, through
new and
innovative
techniques,
an
interactive
community
connecting
the public
with
Hospice Advocac
y, and
* Cultivatin
g relationsh
media to highlight ips with the
issues
impacting
end-of-life
care.
Figure 2. Hospice
Utilization
2,513,000 2
U.S. Deaths
1,059,000 1
Hospice
Deaths
physician
that the patient
has six months
less to live
if the terminal
or
illness runs
course. Patients
must be re-assesse its normal
eligibility at
d for
regular intervals,
on the amount
but there is
no limit
of time a patient
under hospice
can then spend
care. In 2011,
million patients
an estimated
1.65
received
services from
hospice.
NHPCO estimates
deaths in
that 44.6%
the U.S.
of all
hospice program. were under the care
1, 2
of a
in the U.S.1, 2
1. 2011, NHPCO
National Data
2. Hoyert
Set and/or
DL, Xu J.
NHPCO Member
available online Deaths: Preliminary
Database.
at: http://www.cdc Data for 2011,
.gov/nchs/dta/n National Vital Statistics
Reports, vol
vsr61/nvsr61_06
61 no6. National
.pdf.
www.h
ospice
action
netwo
rk.org
*
Center for
Health Statistics,
CDC,
info@n
hpcoh
an.org
1
- A Hospice
Policy Compendium,
providing a comprehensive
overview of the policy issues
in play
- State of the Hospice
Community which tells the
story of the combined impact
of cuts and reimbursement
changes
- The video, Hospice and
Medicare Part D, the first
video in a series called 'Policy
Points," which explains this
complex issue in a succinct,
easy-to-digest manner.
In reaction to CMS activity to hold
hospices financially responsible
for medications unrelated to a
hospice patient's terminal illness,
NHPCO and HAN executed a
rapid education of key Hill offices
in November and December.
From leadership offices, to the
committees of jurisdiction, to the
White House staff, NHPCO and
Hospice Advocates pushed back
with real force. In addition, NHPCO
President Don Schumacher met
with Administrator Tavenner in a
private meeting on this subject and
shared his views with her.
In under a month, members of
Congress sent a series of letters
expressing their disapproval of
CMS's approach, including a
House sign-on which garnered the
support of 42 bipartisan members.
(To see the letters and get updates
on this ongoing issue, see Hospice
and Part D on the HAN website.
Advocates Shared the Hospice Message at 350 Hill Meetings
During HAN's 2013 Advocacy Intensive, advocates representing over 115
hospice programs held 350 scheduled meetings with legislators, calling on
them to preserve and protect access to hospice care. (More than two-thirds
of attendees were first-time participants from key Congressional districts
who brought fresh voice to our hospice message.)
The meetings were part of a two-day event that included advocacy
training and a pep rally featuring Congressmen Chris Van Hollen (MD) and
Tom Reed (NY) - both hospice champions!
The annual Intensive has been heralded by external organizations, such as
the Congressional Management Foundation, as one of the most innovative in
the field. Save the date for the 2014 Intensive - to be held on June 16 and 17.
6
NHPCO NewsLine
Last Minute Progress on
PAs and Hospice
As the year wound to a close,
Congress again had to deal
with the physician's formula
for Medicare reimbursement
(sometimes known as the 'SGR'
or 'Doc Fix'). The bill deals mainly
with updates to how doctors get
paid under Medicare, and has
been a point of contention for
several years.
While the SGR doesn't directly
affect hospice, the progress of
the bill through the Congress
and the various committees
that typically 'mark up' a bill
presented an opportunity for
hospice champions. As Senate
rules dictate, Senators can offer
amendments to such large
pieces of legislation during
deliberations, and Senators Mike
Enzi (R-WY) and Tom Carper (D-DE)
were able to add an amendment.
This amendment would allow
Physician Assistants (PAs) to care
for hospice patients. This would
help many programs offer their
services to more hospice patients
in need, but would especially
be a lifeline in rural areas. The
amendment was ultimately
accepted into the Senate Finance
Committee's version of the SGR
bill, which is a large hurdle to
overcome.
There are other challenges still to
face, but NHPCO actively endorsed
the Enzi-Carper amendment
and will be actively monitoring
this exciting development as it
progresses in the coming weeks.
http://www.hospiceactionnetwork.org/linked_documents/get_informed/policy_resources/Medicare_Hospice_Benefit_print.pdf
http://www.hospiceactionnetwork.org/linked_documents/get_informed/policy_resources/Medicare_Hospice_Benefit_print.pdf
http://www.hospiceactionnetwork.org/linked_documents/get_informed/policy_resources/Medicare_Hospice_Benefit_print.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/dta/nvsr61/nvsr61_06.pdf
http://www.h
http://www.nhpco.org/sites/default/files/public/public_policy/Hospice_Policy_Compendium.pdf
http://www.nhpco.org/sites/default/files/public/public_policy/Hospice_Policy_Compendium.pdf
http://www.hospiceactionnetwork.org/linked_documents/get_informed/policy_resources/CurrentStateofHospice_Nov2013.pdf
http://www.hospiceactionnetwork.org/linked_documents/get_informed/policy_resources/CurrentStateofHospice_Nov2013.pdf
http://www.hospiceactionnetwork.org/get-informed/issues/part-d/
http://www.hospiceactionnetwork.org/get-informed/issues/part-d/
http://www.hospiceactionnetwork.org/get-informed/issues/part-d/
http://www.hospiceactionnetwork.org/get-informed/issues/part-d/
http://www.hospiceactionnetwork.org/han-in-action/han-events/advocacy-intensive/
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NHPCO NewsLine January 2014
The Fuel That Feeds Positive Change
A Look Back at 2013
Download Our Free NewsLine App (display ad)
2014 MLC (display ad)
Findings From the 2013 Spiritual Care Survey
Member News and Notes
National Hospice Foundation Gala (display ad)
ehospice USA (display ad)
Tips From 2013
2014 Webinars
Links to Resources on the NHPCO Website
A Feel-Good Moment
NHPCO NewsLine January 2014
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