This month, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation announced a new Medicare Care Choices Model and is seeking applications from Medicare-enrolled hospices. Traditionally, Medicare has only covered hospice services for patients no longer seeking curative treatment. The new Care Choices Model seeks hospices to participate in a new option to allow Medicare beneficiaries with advanced cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, and HIV/AIDS to concurrently receive hospice-provided palliative care while also receiving curative treatment.  The Model will test whether concurrent access to both services affect care quality, patient and family satisfaction, and Medicare utilization.

CMS anticipates selecting at least 30 hospices representing both urban and rural settings that have demonstrated experience with an established network of providers for referrals to hospice. Hospices selected to participate will receive a $400 per beneficiary per month payment to provide services to eligible beneficiaries.

All Medicare-enrolled hospices are eligible to apply.  Applications are due by June 19, 2014.