A growing share of for-profit hospice agencies are owned by private equity firms and publicly traded companies, which now care for over a quarter of the more than 1.7 million people who receive hospice care annually in the US. New research … [Read more...] about Private Equity-Owned Hospices Profit the Most and Spend the Least on Patient Care
Hospice
CMS Suspends Launch of Program to Identify Poor-Quality Hospice Providers
CMS announced on February 14, 2025, that it had ceased implementation of the Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP) in order to “further evaluate the program.” The purpose of the SFP is to identify and strengthen oversight of poorly-performing … [Read more...] about CMS Suspends Launch of Program to Identify Poor-Quality Hospice Providers
New Resource | A Quick Guide to Hospice Coverage
Hospice care and coverage are often confusing for Medicare beneficiaries. Hospice care is compassionate end-of-life care that includes medical and supportive services intended to provide comfort to individuals who are terminally ill. It is often … [Read more...] about New Resource | A Quick Guide to Hospice Coverage
Hospice CARE Act Introduced to Improve End-of-Life Care and Reduce Fraud
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D – Oregon) recently introduced H.R. 9803, the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. The Center for Medicare Advocacy supports this legislation, which proposes a number of significant payment … [Read more...] about Hospice CARE Act Introduced to Improve End-of-Life Care and Reduce Fraud
Study: People with Dementia Receive Less Home Health and Hospice Care in Their Final Months
According to a recent study, people suffering from dementia receive less health care in their last months of life – particularly home health and hospice – than people without dementia who have terminal illnesses. Researchers at RTI International, a … [Read more...] about Study: People with Dementia Receive Less Home Health and Hospice Care in Their Final Months
Gaps in Hospice Abuse and Neglect Reporting
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently reviewed requirements for reporting abuse and neglect allegations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). GAO concluded gaps existed in requirements for hospices as compared … [Read more...] about Gaps in Hospice Abuse and Neglect Reporting
NAHC and CMA Announce New Hospice Resource for Consumers
Posted on December 9, 2022FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMedia Contact: Thomas ThrelkeldDirector of Communications, NAHC202-547-7424/tom@nahc.orgWashington, D.C. - Over 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries receive hospice care[1]. It is one of … [Read more...] about NAHC and CMA Announce New Hospice Resource for Consumers
CMA Comments on CY 2022 HH Prospective Payment System & More
August 5, 2021Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesDepartment of Health and Human ServicesAttention: CMS-1747-PP.O. Box 8013Baltimore, Maryland 21244-8013Submitted electronically to: http://www.regulations.govRe: File Code … [Read more...] about CMA Comments on CY 2022 HH Prospective Payment System & More
Recent Rules and Guidance Address Transparency in Hospice Coverage
Effective for hospice elections beginning on or after October 1, 2020, Medicare beneficiaries are entitled to greater transparency about the conditions, items, services, and drugs that a provider does not believe are covered under the hospice benefit … [Read more...] about Recent Rules and Guidance Address Transparency in Hospice Coverage
Government Watchdog Agency Issues Report Highlighting “Significant Vulnerabilities” in Medicare’s Hospice Benefit
Following up on earlier work analyzing the Medicare hospice benefit, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued two reports this week “which found that from 2012 through 2016, the majority of U.S. … [Read more...] about Government Watchdog Agency Issues Report Highlighting “Significant Vulnerabilities” in Medicare’s Hospice Benefit