Some hospice patients aren't actually dying

Some patients who end up in hospice care aren’t actually dying, according to the Washington Post, even though the service is only meant to provide end-of-life care.

A government investigation found that about a third of people who chose hospice care haven’t been properly informed that the decision means forgoing any care that could prolong their lives or cure their diseases—a requirement for patients choosing to enter hospice care.

That disparity could be because it’s more profitable for hospices to care for patients who aren’t going to die. They can still bill Medicare (which pays for the majority of hospice care) for the patient’s day in hospice but spend less on drugs and other types of care, because they aren’t as sick as some of the other patients.

That could mean that a huge proportion of the $15.1 billion Medicare pays in hospice costs is being disbursed improperly.

In Mississippi and Alabama, 41 and 35 percent of patients, respectively, are released from hospice care before dying. That’s more than double the average or expected rate of release of 15 percent.

Check out the Washington Post to see more about this problem and its possible solutions: