As the Executive Director of the only hospice care provider in Calvert County, I feel the need to address some of the misinformation provided in the December 26 Washington Post article “Hospice Firms Draining Billions from Medicare.” The article states, rightfully so, how some for-profit hospice organizations have entered the marketplace and utilize fraudulent practices to maximize their profits. What the article fails to address is the major difference between for-profit and non-profit organizations. For-profit groups answer to their shareholders; they are driven by money. Whereas community, non-profit, hospices are driven by their desire to care for patients and families.
Most hospice providers receive an average Medicare reimbursement of $150 per patient per day. Out of this reimbursement, providers are required to have available to each patient a physician, nurse, social worker, chaplain, certified nursing aide and volunteer support. We must also cover having staff available 24 hours a day/7 days a week/365 days a year. Additionally, we must include the cost of durable medical equipment (beds etc.), medications, medical supplies and grief support for surviving family members for up to 12 months, just to name a few.
All this as Medicare reimbursement is decreasing due to sequestration and non-funded regulatory mandates. Hospice costs will no doubt increase as the baby-boomer generation ages. It should be noted that hospice care accounts for only 2% of all Medicare spending, and studies have shown that hospice saves Medicare millions by reducing expensive hospitalizations at the end-of-life.
It is my hope that when the time comes, you will choose the community-based, nonprofit hospice that has served our county for thirty years. Calvert Hospice continues to put patients and their families first.
Brenda Laughhunn
Executive Director
Calvert Hospice
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