A Very “Special” Episode: Amid Controversy, CMS Launches the Hospice Special Focus Program

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) devised a “Special Focus Program” to identify poor performing hospices and help them improve through more frequent surveys and technical assistance. CMS would also impose enforcement remedies and fines to further incentivize improvement. How to identify poor performing hospices, however, has sparked concern among the hospice community. In this episode, Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske and Bryan Nowicki discuss the Hospice Special Focus Program and what hospices can expect from that program as it rolls out in 2024.