The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released two reports, both pointing to problems in hospice programs. Among other findings, the OIG found that health inspectors cited 87% of hospices for deficiencies from 2012 through 2016. In addition, 20% of hospices had lapses serious enough to endanger patients.
In one example, described in the NPR article below and in an upcoming September 2019 SMP/SHIP newsletter article about a California SMP case, a man hospitalized with pneumonia was transferred to a residential care facility and enrolled in hospice without his family’s knowledge. The hospice did not meet with the family to establish a care plan. He died days later.
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