Ep. 216 Hospice Under Threat: How to Protect Patient-Centered End-of-Life Care with Jeff Lycan

Learn about the “dark side” of the hospice business and how to identify and support organizations that are truly patient-centered.

My guest Jeffrey Lycan has spent the last 21 years of his  hospice and palliative care nursing career as an advocate for improving care and quality of life for patients at the end of life. He will discuss the recent alarming reports issued by the OIG (Office of the Inspector General) about instances of negligent care in some hospices, the worrisome trend toward profit-centered rather than patient-centered care, and how to support community-based hospices that are preserving Cicely Saunders’ legacy of end-of-life care. Learn about the Why It Matters Campaign he has started:
www.ohioshospice.org/whyitmatters
Listen here:
https://lessonsfromdying.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/podcasteolu19lycan.mp3  
This episode includes:
The two OIG reports from July 2019 that exposed fraudulent and negligent care in some hospices (see links below)
What a “deficiency” in a hospice survey actually means
 Business changes in the hospice industry that have contributed to flaws in the care being offered
How some hospices now focus on profit first rather than patient care first
How profiteering harms the hospice system, patients and staff
New MedPAC proposal for lowering the annual per patient cap for hospices and why it may be a good thing
How consumers can choose the best hospice for their loved ones
How to register a complaint about hospice care
The campaign Why It Matters: Preserving the Legacy of Hospice
As originally championed by Cicely Saunders, MD, the founder of the modern hospice movement, the hospice model of care was based on providing end-of-life care with both compassion and science, and offering this care through engaged community-based, not- for-profit programs.
-from Why It Matters Website
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Links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 211 with Bodhi Be
7/2019 OIG Report: Hospice Deficiencies Pose Risks to Medicare Beneficiaries
7/2019 OIG Report: Safeguards Must be Strengthened to Protect Medicare Hospice Beneficiaries from Harm
Washington Post Article on OIG reports
NY Times Article: When a Health Insurer Also Wants to be a Hospice Company
Hospice Compare website
Where to report hospice fraud
Where to report hospice negligence
Why It Matters: Preserving the Legacy of Hospice
Beautiful Dying Expo – November 2, 2019, San Diego CA
Before I Die Arizona – October 29 – November 3, Scottsdale AZ
Spiritual Journeys in Chronic Illness Course
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