The Hospice Stimulus Package
Wednesday January 28, 2009
Okay, so maybe it's not really a hospice stimulus package but The House of Representatives approved it's version of the economic stimulus plan on Wednesday, which includes $134 million for ... Read More
Choosing a Hospice Provider
Tuesday January 27, 2009
Did you know that when you are referred to hospice care by your physician that you may have a choice of hospice providers? Many people don't realize that there ... Read More
The Indignities of Death in America
Sunday January 25, 2009
Everyone wants to grow old and die in his or her sleep, but the truth is that most of us will die in pieces. Most will be nibbled to death ... Read More
Is Hospice a Place Someone Goes to Die?
Saturday January 24, 2009
There are a lot of misconceptions about hospice that are still prevalent, despite it's rapid growth in the past two decades. One of those is that hospice is a ... Read More
Senator Ted Kennedy Suffers Seizure at Obama's Inauguration Luncheon
Tuesday January 20, 2009
Senator Ted Kennedy, who was diagnosed with a glioblastoma in June, suffered a seizure at the Congressional Luncheon held to celebrate Barack Obama's Inauguration. The Senator had to be ... Read More
South Carolina May Change It's Mind About Hospice
Monday January 19, 2009
The Associated Press reported that South Carolina agreed to restore hospice benefits to it's Medicaid only patients. The House voted 113-0 in favor of restoring the benefit to help ... Read More
MedPAC Approves Recommendations to Revise Medicare Reimbursement for Hospice Care
Monday January 19, 2009
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has approved a set of recommendations that would revise the current Medicare payment system for providers of hospice care. The new recommendations will ... Read More
Writers Shares His Struggle with Daughter's Cancer
Sunday January 18, 2009
Al Martinez, a columnists for the Los Angeles Times, shared his struggle with his daughters recent cancer diagnosis - and encourages others to do the same. He shares his ... Read More
Cutting Hospice Care is Poor Judgement
Sunday January 11, 2009
Florida may be following in the foot steps of South Carolina, eliminating coverage for hospice care for Medicaid only patients. Of course, lawmakers "regret" having to make "difficult" decisions ... Read More
Should Informed Consent Include Info on Better Care Elsewhere?
Tuesday January 6, 2009
Imagine yourself newly diagnosed with cancer. Would you want to if the hospital in a neighboring town had better cancer care than the one near you? Imagine choosing ... Read More
New Years Palliative Care Resolutions
Thursday January 1, 2009
I'm usually loathe to make New Years resolutions. I can't count how many times I've resolved to loose five (okay, maybe ten) pounds only to end up on December ... Read More
California Passes Pediatric Palliative Care Waiver
Thursday January 1, 2009
At a time when many states are making extreme cuts to their Medicaid programs, California goes characteristically against the grain and passes the Pediatric Palliative Care Waiver. California is ... Read More