Trends in Hospice Deficiencies and Complaints

The Medicare hospice program is an important benefit for beneficiaries and their families at the end of life. Surveys and complaint investigations are critical oversight mechanisms that address the care provided to beneficiaries by hospices. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contracts with State survey agencies to conduct onsite surveys of hospices for certification and in response to complaints. National accreditation organizations, approved by CMS, may also conduct onsite surveys. These surveys assess the extent to which hospices meet Federal health and safety standards and require that surveyors cite hospices with deficiencies if they fail to meet the standards. Previous OIG reports identified numerous vulnerabilities and raised concerns about the limited enforcement actions against poorly performing hospices. As part of OIG's ongoing commitment to address quality of care, we will determine the extent and nature of hospice deficiencies and complaints and identify trends.

Announced or Revised	Agency	Title	Component	Report Number(s)	Expected Issue Date (FY)
Completed	Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services	Trends in Hospice Deficiencies and Complaints	Office of Evaluation and Inspections	OEI-02-17-00020	2019