The frustration cited by this blogger illustrates exactly how the Medicare Hospice Benefit can be abused, even by well-meaning people. Some profit-driven hospice companies prey upon the lack of adequate elder-care and push the use of hospice as an alternative, constantly seeking hospice referrals even for patients with no terminal diagnosis. The problem with this is two-fold: (1) patients who are not truly dying are denied curative care once they are admitted to hospice; and (2) taxpayer dollars earmarked for healthcare wind up in the pockets of unscrupulous companies and their owners.

Go to http://fraudblawg.com/2009/05/04/3/ to read about a near $25 million settlement of Medicare hospice fraud allegations.

There is a person I and my colleagues work with on a fairly regular basis. The one thing I have to say about her is that she is very thorough and conscientious and truly wants the best for patients once they leave our facility. The problem comes when she can't seem to come up with what she considers to be an adequate plan. So, what is her fall back options for these people?? You guessed already? She thinks that a hospice referral would be just th … Read More

via Amy's Life in Brief