Skip to main content
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Current News
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • Digital Health
    • Transformation
    • ESG
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Opinion
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
  • Events & Awards
    • Awards
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Virtual Briefings
    • Webinars
    • Nominate/Eligibility
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Excellence in Governance
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top Innovators
    • Diversity in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
      • - Leaders to Watch
    • Women in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Women Leaders
      • - Women to Watch
    • Digital Health Transformation Summit
    • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
    • - Hospital of the Future
    • - Value Based Care
    • - Hospital at Home
    • - Workplace of the Future
    • - Digital Health
    • - Future of Staffing
    • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
  • Multimedia
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Video Series - The Check Up
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
  • Data Center
    • Data Center Home
    • Hospital Financials
    • Staffing & Compensation
    • Quality & Safety
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Data Archive
    • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
    • Surveys
    • Data Points
  • Newsletters
  • MORE+
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Providers
November 28, 2017 12:00 AM

CMS: Hospice Compare site can't be trusted

Virgil Dickson
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print

    A site developed by the CMS to help mortally ill Medicare beneficiaries and their families find hospices has been providing wrong information to consumers since it launched.

    The Hospice Compare site debuted in August and almost immediately providers noticed that it had incorrect addresses, according to Carol Spence, vice president of research and quality for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Phone numbers and profit status have also been flagged as wrong by industry.

    For months the trade group has been working with the CMS to fix the issue only for the problem to remain.

    Such data problems can not only slow access to hospice care, it puts a strain on families who may be going through the worst time of their lives, Spence said. "If you are a family in crisis, you're already under so much stress as it is," Spence said. "Then you call a hospice, and the first thing you hear is that 'We can't help you because you're not in an area we serve.' "

    A CMS spokesman said it had only recently learned of the problems. Its investigation into the issue revealed errors in the underlying methodology related to the geographic search function on Hospice Compare.

    Hospice Compare screenshot"We understand the distress that patients and caregivers that are seeking hospice care may be experiencing when searching for such services," the spokesman said. "So that we may best serve our beneficiaries, providing the most effective and expedient solution to these issues is our highest priority."

    Data on Hospice Compare are supposed to be updated quarterly and there were hopes that a data refresh would take care of the bad information on the site. However, last week the CMS alerted industry that a refresh scheduled for Nov. 21 was delayed indefinitely. A rationale was not provided.

    The agency said it would inform the provider community when a new refresh date is determined.

    The CMS took its first public, concrete step to address the bad address issue Tuesday by placing a banner on the Hospice Compare site informing users that when searching by location, the list of agencies provided may not serve the ZIP code, city or state they entered. The message also recommends that consumers call hospice providers to confirm their service areas.

    The goal of the Compare site, which was called for by the Affordable Care Act, was to provide a snapshot of the quality of care each hospice facility offers to its patients.

    The Hospice Compare site allows patients, family members, caregivers and providers to sort through hospices based on important quality metrics, such as the percentage of patients who were screened for pain, or difficult or uncomfortable breathing, or whether patients' preferences are being met.

    Data on Hospice Compare is offered for approximately 3,876 hospices. The CMS also has Compare sites for hospitals, nursing homes, inpatient rehabilitation facilities and physicians.

    A CMS spokesperson said that no other Compare sites were having similiar problems.

    Doctors previously have also complained about inaccurate data on their Compare site. In addition to wrong information on location, phone numbers and similar data, the site did not provide correct information on whether physicians are participating in certain quality programs.

    An edited version of this story can also be found in Modern Healthcare's Dec. 4 print edition.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    Oak Street Health
    Oak Street Health to expand into Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Virginia
    finance graphs hospital
    Primary care physicians' pay growth picked up in 2022: MGMA
    Most Popular
    1
    More healthcare organizations at risk of credit default, Moody's says
    2
    Centene fills out senior executive team with new president, COO
    3
    SCAN, CareOregon plan to merge into the HealthRight Group
    4
    Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan unveils big push that lets physicians take on risk, reap rewards
    5
    Bright Health weighs reverse stock split as delisting looms
    Sponsored Content
    Modern Healthcare A.M. Newsletter: Sign up to receive a comprehensive weekday morning newsletter designed for busy healthcare executives who need the latest and most important healthcare news and analysis.
    Get Newsletters

    Sign up for enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today
    MH Magazine Cover

    MH magazine offers content that sheds light on healthcare leaders’ complex choices and touch points—from strategy, governance, leadership development and finance to operations, clinical care, and marketing.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data.

    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Current News
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Digital Health
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • ESG
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Opinion
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Excellence in Governance
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top Innovators
        • Diversity in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
          • - Leaders to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Conferences
        • Digital Health Transformation Summit
        • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - Digital Health
        • - Future of Staffing
        • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Data Center
      • Data Center Home
      • Hospital Financials
      • Staffing & Compensation
      • Quality & Safety
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Data Archive
      • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
      • Surveys
      • Data Points
    • Newsletters
    • MORE+
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing