Hospices to Improve Health Services

In a recent development, the Washington Post reports that CMS has issued an additional rule that requires hospice providers who are Medicare participants to put into effect a quality assessment and improvement system. This rule shall be implemented beginning December and involves patient participation in hospices to help settle upon treatment plans and the required improvement in areas of the hospice that seem deficient. Eventually the data shall be made public but for the beginning it shall be provided to Medicare and hospice organizers only. It will be akin to the way the federal government shares information on hospitals, home health agencies and nursing homes.

The number of Americans utilizing hospice services has increased by over two times since 1996 to an approximate count of 1.3 million in 2006.From $3 billion spent by Medicare on hospice care in 2000, the amount has increased to $10 billion in 2007.But experts say that hospice services are still not being utilized to the maximum. Malene Davis, the president and CEO of Capital Hospice attributed this underutilization to the popular misconception that hospices are for cancer patients only.

Malene went on to say that with the new rule coming into effect, we will see a reduction in variations on how health care is delivered and subsequently assist consumers in choosing hospices that provide the best health services. President and CEO of the American Hospice Foundation, Naomi Maierman said that it is only when the data is made public will people be able to differentiate between hospices.

It remains to be seen how far this rule will go in making hospices popular among health care seekers and not just cancer patients.