Hospice Carve-In’s Sunset Could Affect Palliative Care
An article in Palliative Care News interviewed several hospice leaders noting their concerns about the termination of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation’s hospice component in their Medicare Advantage (MA) Value-Based Insurance Design model (VBID). Under that model, participating MA plans were required to cover not only hospice benefits, but also provide palliative care and transitional care services. This article describes the potential lost opportunity for improved palliative care payment under this model.
According to the most recent VBID Evaluation Report prepared by the Rand Corporation, only around 5,600 beneficiaries received palliative care under the model – much lower than any of the participating plans had expected – but did note that a small number of the plans had successfully improved members’ palliative care utilization over time. Payer support of palliative care continues to be varied and dynamic, both now and after the formal VBID carve-in closes.