We need to talk about hospice

We need to talk about hospice
MedCity News; by Skelly Wingard, Asher Perzigian and Elizabeth Annis; 1/28/25 
In the quiet corners of healthcare, there’s a conversation that needs to be had. It’s a conversation about hospice — a critical yet often misunderstood part of end-of-life care. ... Nearly three-quarters of hospice care agencies are for-profit ownership. ... The impact of these acquisitions on the industry is complex. ... On the one hand, these investments can bring valuable resources to hospice care, funding geographic expansion, scaling technological infrastructure, improving facilities and enhancing services. On the other hand, a strong focus on efficiency and optimization has led to challenges such as staff burnout, higher turnover, and decreased patient satisfaction when compared with non-profits. Coupled together, this complexity can contribute to reduced quality of care due to cost-cutting measures, aggressive marketing leading to overuse of services, increased billing and fraud and a lack of community investment. Not all for-profit hospices operate this way. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]