An Attorney’s Perspectives for Hospice Boards

Hospice boards today need to be well versed in a number of areas that directly or indirectly address legal issues. In this three-part Hospice Governance Academy Spotlight Interview, Bill Musick, President of Integriti3D, talks with Meg Pekarske, a partner at Husch Blackwell and host of the podcast, “Hospice Insights: The Law and Beyond.” They discuss the most pressing issues for hospice boards, ensuring an effective compliance plan, and how to prepare for the future.

Segment 1: An Attorney’s Involvement in Hospice Boards

Meg Pekarske shares the top three areas where she, as an attorney, has direct contact with hospice boards:

1. Internal investigations
2. Audit and enforcement activity
3. Transforming for the future

Segment 2: Ensuring an Effective Compliance Program

The Office of Inspector General expects the board have oversight for compliance issues, be aware of them, and generally be informed of the healthcare regulatory environment. In this segment, Meg Pekarske discusses how a board can understand from an industry perspective if it has a good compliance program:

1. How to set the stage
2. Developing an audit plan
3. Involving the compliance officer

Segment 3: Being Proactive for the Future

The one thing that is certain about the future is that hospice is going to look different. Across the country, small, medium, and large hospice boards should be thinking about how they are going to continue to live their mission, serve their communities, and stay relevant for the next 5, 10, even 20 years. The key is to be prepared for change.

This segment addresses:

1. Payment models such as Medicare Advantage and Value-Based Insurance Design
2. Business models such as geographic reach, service offerings, partnerships, and integrations
3. How the board supports the C-Suite in making business decisions for the good of the organization