health policy articles

Nearly 1 In 5 Hospice Patients Discharged While Still Alive

Heard on Morning Edition

Hospice care is for the dying. It helps patients manage pain so they can focus on spending their remaining time with loved ones. But in recent years, nearly 1 in 5 patients has been discharged from hospice before he or she dies, according to government reports.

study published last month in the journal Health Affairs finds that hospices with the highest rate of so-called live discharges also have the highest profits. The lead author is Rachel Dolin, a David A. Winston fellow researching health policy. Her paper found an association between high live discharge rates and high profit margins, but it didn't determine the cause....

Full article at NPR