Are There Serious Problems With Hospice Programs? Washington Post 3-Part Series
The Washington Post recently completed a disturbing three-part series on hospice. To analyze the quality of services rendered to terminal patients, the reporters reviewed “Medicare billing records for more than 2,500 outfits, obtained an internal Medicare tally of nursing care in patients near death and reviewed complaint records at hundreds of hospices.” The Post tracks data pointing to staff shortages, lack of coordination in care, failure to provide sustained assistance during critical periods, and the potential for Medicare to incentivize such gaps through perverse funding priorities.
Part 1: Terminal Neglect: How Some Hospices Treat Terminal Patients
Part 2: Is that Hospice Safe? Infrequent Inspections Mean it May be Impossible to Know
Part 3: Rising Rates of Hosptice Discharge in U.S. Raise Questions about Quality of Care