“Number of hospice enrollees increased last year for third year in a row, report finds,” by Suzy Frisch, McKnights Home Care
“As the population of the United States ages, more Medicare beneficiaries are taking advantage of hospice services for care at the end of life. For the third year in a row, the number of beneficiaries enrolled in hospice increased, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, the National Alliance for Care at Home and The Research Institute for Home Care said during a webinar Thursday about the newly released Hospice Chartbook for 2025. From 2023 to 2025, hospice saw a 4.4% increase in Medicare beneficiaries who were enrolled for one day or more — the biggest year-over-year increase since 2020, said Alex Hartzman, vice president of research and analytics at the Institute and lead author of its Facts and Figures report. In all, 53.1% of Medicare decedents (those who died), were served by hospice in 2024. This represents new growth in hospice use, which was a bright spot for Hartzman.”
LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform:
Hospice expansion isn’t such a bright spot for CMS. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are warning of “scammers offering older Americans in-home perks, like free cooking, cleaning and home health services, while they are unknowingly being signed up for hospice services.” Major efforts to catch and punish home care and hospice violators are late, but underway.