LeadingAge NY Participates in Third ALP Hospice Work Group Meeting
On June 7th, LeadingAge NY participated in the third of several work group meetings developed out of the legislation we worked to pass that would enable Medicaid-eligible assisted living program (ALP) residents to access hospice care. The work group, which is required in the legislation, is being convened to make recommendations as to coordination and division of services, responsibilities, and reimbursement. LeadingAge NY was selected to serve on the group. Click here for more background.
During the meeting, the group discussed the possibility of making minor changes to the Medicaid State Plan hospice services to identify the ALP as a setting in which services could be provided. Additionally, the group contemplated whether the ALP and hospice provider should have a contract similar to the contract that nursing homes have with hospice providers. DOH wants to ensure that there is clarity in which entity is responsible for which services, and the contract is one way in which that could be accomplished. The Department suggested that the form DOH developed for hospice to report services could also be a mechanism for this. LeadingAge NY raised concerns about this approach, however, given that the form is problematic for hospice providers and should be revisited. The Department flagged this for future discussion.
As we move forward with this work group initiative, LeadingAge NY will seek member input to identify the best way to delineate and clarify responsibilities and ensure no duplication or gap in services. A guiding principle is that the hospice provider is providing services related to the individual’s terminal diagnosis. It will be helpful, however, to think through specific examples with members. If any ALP or hospice member is interested in assisting us with this, please let us know.
We look forward to resolving this longstanding access issue.
Contact: Diane Darbyshire, ddarbyshire@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8828