Colorado Crisis Standards of Care
10/29/20 Meeting Materials:

 

 

Articles for Discussion:

Per Hospice News Today, 10/22/20:
Grand’s hospice provider to discontinue services
Sky-Hi News (Grand County, Colorado), October 20, 2020
Northwest Colorado Health has announced it will be discontinuing home health and hospice services in Grand County. The only end-of-life care provider for the county gave its 30-day notice to the state on Oct. 14 with the final day of service to be Nov. 13. Northwest Colorado Health, a nonprofit, started providing service to Grand in 2016. According to the provider, the change comes as a result of staffing shortages related to the difficulty in recruiting and retaining nursing staff for the program. It added that the agency has been “actively” trying to hire local staff since May without any results. ... Effective immediately, Northwest Colorado Health will not take new referrals for home health or hospice services. The agency is developing a transition plan for patients currently on services. ... County Manager Kate McIntire indicated that the Grand County Rural Health Network is taking a lead in discussing how this service [hospice] might be provided locally in the future. Specifically, the Rural Health Network is pulling together a group of stakeholders to discuss what those options are.

  • Northwest Colorado Health is / was the primary provider of hospice service in Grand, Moffat, and Routt Counties. A few other hospices served a few patients in these counties, but this closure essentially leaves these three counties without a local hospice provider and Coloradans there without access to hospice service.

 

 

Per CMS 10/20/20:
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center’s Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model team will host a technical support webinar to provide an overview of the Hospice Benefit Component Technical and Operational Guidance. Further, starting later this month, the VBID Model team will host monthly office hours for interested stakeholders to learn more about the VBID Model’s Hospice Benefit Component. Please submit questions in advance by emailing the VBID Mailbox at VBID@cms.hhs.gov.

  • Overview of the Calendar Year (CY) 2021 Hospice Benefit Component

During this webinar on Monday, November 2, from 4:00-5:00 PM EST, presenters will provide a brief review of the Hospice Benefit Component of the VBID Model and the recently released CY2021 VBID Hospice Benefit Component Technical and Operational Guidance. This session will also offer attendees an opportunity to ask follow-up questions about the Hospice Benefit Component. Registration is now open here.

  • November Office Hours: Hospice Benefit Component of the VBID Model

During office hours on Tuesday, November 10, from 1:00-2:00 PM EST, presenters will answer questions received in the VBID Mailbox and offer participants an opportunity to ask follow-up questions about the Hospice Benefit Component. Registration is now open here.

  • December Office Hours: Hospice Benefit Component of the VBID Model

During office hours on Tuesday, December 15, from 1:00-2:00 PM EST, presenters will answer questions received in the VBID Mailbox and offer participants an opportunity to ask follow-up questions about the Hospice Benefit Component. Registration is now open here.

  • January Office Hours: Hospice Benefit Component of the VBID Model

During office hours on Tuesday, January 12, from 1:00-2:00 PM EST, presenters will answer questions received in the VBID Mailbox and offer participants an opportunity to ask follow-up questions about the Hospice Benefit Component. Registration is now open here.

For more information, visit the VBID overview page or contact VBID@cms.hhs.gov. To stay updated on the Hospice Benefit Component, sign up for the listserv. Other resources are listed below:

The CY2021 VBID Hospice Benefit Component Technical and Operational Guidance document can be found here.

A downloadable list of Medicare Advantage Organizations participating in the Hospice Benefit Component of the VBID Model, with plan benefit package number, service area and contact information can be found here: VBID CY2021 Hospice Benefit Contact Information (XLS).