Hospice ‘License Flipping’ Still Plagues Sector, Though Regulations Help

“Shady” brokers allegedly continue to facilitate “license flipping” among fraudulent hospices, though new regulations have started bearing down on the practice. Some hospice owners have been selling their licenses soon after obtaining them, or before regulators can act on alleged malfeasance, according to several industry sources who spoke with Hospice News. The practice appears to […]

Fighting ‘Phantoms’: How Fraud Skews Competition in the Hospice Market

Fraudulent operators’ marketing strategies are morphing the competitive landscape, making it difficult for legitimate hospice providers to maintain visibility among patients and families. A mounting concern is that fraudsters stepping into the hospice industry have been implementing marketing and outreach practices that at times mirror strategies utilized by quality providers, according to Jeanne Chirico, president […]

Bereaved Families Face ‘Devastating’ Impacts of Hospice Fraud

Fraudulent activity in the hospice space may be leaving some families without sufficient bereavement support. Fraudulent hospice schemes can take a tremendous toll on families that have lost loved ones who received poor or negligent end-of-life care, according to Cheryl Kraus, director of government affairs and policy at the Hospice & Palliative Care Association of […]

How Fraudulent Hospices Evade Regulators

A slew of fraudulent hospices in California are dodging consequences by shuffling patients around between provider numbers. That’s according to multiple sources who spoke with Hospice News, expressing their concerns about patterns of fraud continuing even as government regulators crack down on the sector. Since 2021, numerous media and government reports have emerged of unethical […]

Support Mounts for Increased Hospice Accreditor Oversight

Calls are growing louder in support of increased accreditation organization oversight that could help curb fraudulent activity in the hospice space. In a proposed rule released in February the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced a number of provisions aimed at addressing conflicts of interest and establishing more consistent standards, processes and […]

California Leads the State-Level Battle Against Hospice Fraud

As hospice program integrity remains in the spotlight, California remains the only state to take action on curbing the problem. Beginning in 2021, numerous reports emerged of unethical or illegal practices among hundreds of newly licensed hospices, particularly among new companies popping up in California, Texas, Nevada and Arizona. California’s Department of Justice (CDOJ) in […]

[UPDATED] New Hospices Cropping Up in Fraud Hotbeds Amid Ongoing Program Integrity Push

A new report is casting doubt on the heightened regulatory efforts seeking to curb fraud, waste and abuse from hospice agencies in select states. The questionable success of those oversight efforts is best reflected in the fraud hotbed of California, which continues to see a swarm of new hospices emerging and receiving federal funding, despite […]

Hospices Willing to ‘Take Hits’ from Regulators to Ensure Ethical, Quality Care

Some hospice providers are willing to take on additional regulatory pressure if it successfully roots out “bad actors” in the space, Sarah McSpadden, president and CEO of The Elizabeth Hospice, told Hospice News. Regulatory scrutiny is on the rise for hospices nationwide, but is gaining particular traction in California. For example, a recent report from […]

California Providers: Hospice License Moratorium Could Boost Nonprofits

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) earlier this month signed two hospice reform laws designed to strengthen hospice oversight. While some stakeholders applauded these steps as a way of thinning the crowded California market, they could lead to frustration for providers seeking to grow their presence in the state.  The bills — Senate Bill 664 and […]