Washington, D.C., Needs to Address Hospice Care Utilization Disparities

Washington, D.C., Needs to Address Hospice Care Utilization Disparities
By Donna Gayles and Audrey Easaw
Washington (DC) Informer
December 13, 2023
Our nation’s capital ranks high in many things, from access to outdoor activities and number of museums to its ethnic and cultural diversity and vibrant LGBTQ+ population. But the city lags far behind in one key area: hospice care utilization. While on average, just under half of Medicare decedents are in hospice care at their time of death, in the District of Columbia, only 25% are—ranking lower than 49 of the 50 states. This is especially meaningful when considering how medical mistrust plays into this underutilization among the city’s extremely diverse population.