Recent Healthcare Reform Presents Challenges

Four Seasons, as well as every other hospice and palliative care provider, is facing challenges in the future due to the healthcare bill recently signed into law: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care healthcare reform bill approved by the Senate and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act approved by the House. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated the cost of these two bills to be over $940 billion over ten years. I wanted to make you aware of how the approval of the bills will affect the hospice and palliative care industry. There will be hospice payment reform beginning in 2011 through 2013. This means that hospice claim forms and cost reports will be updated and revisions to the methodology for determining the payment rates for routine homecare and other services included in hospice care will be
implemented. By 2012, quality reporting measures will be published. By 2014, all hospice agencies will be required to report on quality
measures that have been predetermined or face a 2% reduction in their rates. We look forward to this requirement as Four Seasons has been working for almost a decade on creating a system of care that delivers excellence to our patients and their families.

In summary, over the next ten years the industry will experience decreased reimbursement, increased regulation, qualityoutcomes reporting, and the need for increased innovation. These will present challenges to those providing care throughout the country. Four Seasons has been preparing for
these changes and will continue to do so. I want to assure you that as our agency navigates these modifications, we will remain true to our mission; in fact we plan on furthering it. The patient and family will always be at the center of each decision that we make. We will provide the best-quality care while focusing on the individual goals of the patient and family.

Written by: by Chris Comeaux, President/CEO

For more information about Four Seasons and our services please visit our website at: fourseasonscfl.org