Source: CT News Junkie, February 14, 2025

In a bid to end healthcare discrimination, Democrats in the Connecticut General Assembly have kicked off the legislative session with at least two bills aimed at addressing inequities in Medicaid eligibility criteria.

 

Read it here from Niveen Ghoneim

On February 6th, Tracy Wodatch (Pres/CEO of the Association) testified before the Aging Committee on several raised bills addressing the needs of the aging population and the community ombudsman program.

While Wodatch supports the long-term care needs in the community, her testimony focused more on the severe Medicaid underfunding stilting the ability for providers to recruit and retain a viable workforce to meet the needs of those in the community.

Click HERE to read her testimony.

Source: CT News Junkie, Feb. 18

 

 

Source: Home Health Care News, February 13, 2025

 

The Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Thursday, in a 52-48 vote.

The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) stated its intention to work with Kennedy and HHS on a variety of policy priorities, with particular reference to advancing “policies that strengthen care coordination, expand the use of telehealth and home-based services, and ensure that Americans have access to high-quality, cost-effective care at home.”

Source: The Alliance, February 14, 2025

Effective February 14, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has ceased the implementation of the Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP) so that CMS may further evaluate the program. This decision is a positive move acknowledging that the current approach is not working as intended. The hospice community has long advocated for strong oversight and patient protections, but the SFP, as implemented, was deeply flawed, unlawful, and harmful to the very patients it was meant to protect. A multi-state coalition of hospices and hospice associations took legal action in January to challenge the program, citing its misrepresentation of hospice compliance records, misleading data, and jeopardized access to high-quality end-of-life care. The flawed algorithm behind the SFP failed to distinguish fraudulent providers from reputable ones, disproportionately penalized well-established hospices, and ignored repeated warnings from congressional leaders and industry stakeholders. ... Now that CMS is reassessing its approach, there is an opportunity to ensure that oversight efforts truly enhance patient protections without restricting access to trusted hospice providers. The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) remain committed to protecting access to high-quality hospice care and ensuring that regulatory oversight is fair, transparent, and aligned with congressional intent.

Source: Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN), February 12, 2025

 

Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN) announced the completion of its survey titled “What Baby Boomers Want in End-of-Life Care.” This survey aimed to gain insights into the healthcare preferences and needs of the Baby Boomer generation as they age, transition into retirement and seek end-of-life care.

Source: The Daily Sentinel, February 14, 2025

A growing numbers of family members now provide care for older adults who live at home or in residential care settings, a new study shows. Their ranks increased 32%, from 18.2 million to 24.1 million, between 2011 and 2022, according to new research in the journal Health Affairs. The number of hours that these folks spent caring for older adults with dementia jumped by nearly 50%, from an average 21.4 hours per week in 2011 to 31 hours in 2022. Exactly what is driving the increase in family or unpaid caregiving is not fully understood, but researchers speculate that it may be due to a rise in the number of people who live with the folks who they assist. For the study, researchers culled data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) in 2011 and 2022.

Source: Alliance Daily, February 14, 2025

 

Providers can now access the latest Provider Preview Reports via the Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports (CASPER) application. These reports contain provider performance scores for quality measures, which will be published on the compare tool on Medicare.gov and the Provider Data Catalog (PDC) during the May 2025 refresh.

In the Provider Preview Reports, HIS measure scores are based on HIS data submitted by hospices from Quarter 3, 2023 through Quarter 2, 2024. CAHPS measure scores are based on CAHPS data submitted from Quarter 3, 2022 through Quarter 2, 2024. CAHPS Star Ratings are calculated based on data from Quarter 2, 2022 through Quarter 1, 2024. The claims-based measures reflect claims data collected from Quarter 1, 2022 through Quarter 4, 2023.

Providers will have 30 days during which to review their quality measure results. The preview period for the latest Provider Preview Report lasts from February 13, 2025 to March 14, 2025. Although the actual “preview period” is 30 days, the reports will continue to be available for another 30 days, or a total of 60 days. CMS encourages providers to download and save their Hospice Provider Preview Reports for future reference, as they will no longer be available in CASPER after this 60-day period.

Source: Alliance Daily, February 12, 2025

 

Materials for the self-paced 2025 Introduction to the Home Health Care CAHPS (HHCAHPS) training and the HHCAHPS Survey Vendor Update Webinar training are now available. The materials can be accessed here.

 

However, registration is required and can be accessed here. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted the following to the HHCAHPS website:

Join us for an important, interactive IN-PERSON workshop with the Department of Public Health (DPH) Home Health and Hospice Survey Team.

📍 NEHCC 2025 is heading to Portland, Maine!

 

Join us April 15–17, 2025, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, located in the heart of this vibrant coastal city. After an inspiring day at the New England Home Care & Hospice Conference and Trade Show, explore Portland’s top-notch restaurants like Eventide Oyster Co., Duckfat and Fore Street or enjoy attractions like the Old Port District and Portland Head Light.

 

✨ Make it a trip to remember!