CMS’s Hospice Star Rating System limited by missing data

CMS’s Hospice Star Rating System limited by missing data 
Health Affairs; by Amanda C. Chen and David C. Grabowski; 6/3/25 
Two-thirds of US hospices were not given a star rating when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced its hospice star rating system in 2022. Since then, the share of hospices without a star rating has steadily increased, including through the most recent reporting period of 2024. This suggests that the CMS hospice star rating is having limited impact. We provide recommendations for CMS and other policy makers to improve the value for hospice patients of publicly reported star ratings.