How are hospice Medicare cuts affecting you?

[mc3, ASN, RN]

Yikes - we've had to cut $1 million from our budget - resulted in 12 people losing their jobs. Not only that, but our census is dropping:( for a variety of reasons. I do believe, too, that because of the health insurance problems in this country, people are delaying going to the doctor. And delaying in getting referred to hospice, which is resulting in lots of late hour admissions. I'm getting very nervous!!! :sofahider I do so love my job - it is truly why I was put here in this earth..

mc3

[doodlemom]

The medicare rates have not been cut yet.

[mc3, ASN, RN]

Hmmm...and we were told that the cuts "were a direct result of the Medicare cutbacks". Maybe they cut the jobs in anticipation?

mc3

[rhondaa59rn]

I know exactly what you are saying. our inpt hospice isnt full anymore, and it makes you wonder if we will still have jobs down the road. I too was created to do hospice and i prefer an inpt facility( I have never done homecare, but it seems so isolated) anyway it is scary the hoops we have to jump through in our charting.

[shrinky]

The new Medicare COPs have made it difficult to give respite to caregivers and decreased the number of inpatient Hospice patients. We are meeting these patients needs with our new Palliative Inpatient Service, so at least they are receiving symptom management. The Medicaid Hospice cuts in SC will affect us even more since we are a non-profit Hospice. Since this has been a recent development, we will have to wait to see how this will affect our agency.