Finding the Right Hospice Is Easier Than Ever

Choosing the right hospice is a challenge.

For families navigating end-of-life care options, choosing the right hospice can be a deeply emotional decision. To help guide this critically important process, the U.S. government a decade ago launched a national database that ranks hospice providers based on opinions and experience of those who should know — patients’ families and caregivers.

Its usefulness has grown as more people have added their rankings.

A New Era of Hospice Transparency

Until about 10 years ago, there was no centralized platform for comparing hospice providers based on standardized metrics and on the experiences of patients’ families. That changed in 2015, when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Hospice Survey.

In 2017, CMS made the responses available to the public through the Hospice Compare website. Now consumers can compare hospice providers across the country based on a 1- to 5-star rating system, with 5 stars indicating “much above average” care and 1 star indicating “much below average.”

How the Ranking Works

The star ratings are determined by surveys sent to family members or close friends of people who died while in hospice care, approximately two months after the patient’s death. These surveys ask 47 questions, including:
• Communication with family
• Timeliness of care
• Help with pain and symptoms
• Emotional and spiritual support
• Training for family caregivers
• Overall experience with the hospice

Based on the responses, hospices are ranked and displayed to help others evaluate potential providers.

Nonprofit vs. For-Profit Distinctions

One notable feature of the database is that it clearly indicates whether a hospice provider is nonprofit or for-profit, a distinction that can be important for families comparing philosophies of care and operational priorities. Research has shown that nonprofit and for-profit hospices may differ in how they allocate resources or approach patient care.

This user-informed rating system helps families make decisions during some of life’s most vulnerable moments.