Making informed decisions about hospice care is crucial for patients and their families. Medicare’s Care Compare website is a valuable resource designed to help you navigate these choices. This page provides an overview of Care Compare, its purpose, and how it supports informed healthcare decisions regarding hospice services.
Care Compare (https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/) is the official Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website dedicated to publicly reporting quality data for various healthcare providers, including hospices. This public reporting is mandated by the Social Security Act, ensuring transparency and accountability within the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP). The data presented on Care Compare originates from several key sources: the Hospice Item Set (HIS), the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers & Systems (CAHPS®) Hospice Survey, and administrative data derived from Medicare claims. For those seeking deeper insights, the Provider Data Catalog on CMS.gov (https://data.cms.gov/provider-data/) allows users to search and download the publicly reported data showcased on Care Compare.
Care Compare serves as a user-friendly platform, empowering patients and caregivers to compare hospice providers based on critical factors. This includes quality of care metrics, patient experience feedback, and other relevant data points. Replacing the original Hospice Compare in 2020, Care Compare offers an enhanced interface to facilitate easier comparison of hospice performance. This helps consumers identify hospice providers that best align with their needs and preferences.
For hospice providers, Care Compare is an opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with patients and families. By understanding that Care Compare offers a snapshot of their quality of care, providers can encourage families to review these ratings and use them as part of their decision-making process. This proactive approach strengthens patient and family involvement in choosing the right hospice care.
The quality measures reported on Care Compare are detailed on the Current Measures page within the Hospice Quality Reporting Program section of the CMS website. Furthermore, Care Compare incorporates data regarding the characteristics of Medicare-certified hospice organizations. This information is drawn from the Hospice Provider Utilization and Payment Public Use File (PUF) and the Post-Acute Care (PAC) PUF. By integrating this comprehensive data into an accessible platform, Care Compare enables consumers to utilize both quality measure data and organizational characteristics when making informed hospice selections.
Stay informed about the Hospice Quality Reporting Program by signing up for updates (https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USCMS/subscriber/new?topic_id=USCMS_12265). For access to archived materials, please visit the Hospice Quality Reporting Program Archives.
This resource aims to clarify the role and value of Medicare Hospice Compare (Care Compare) in helping individuals make well-informed decisions about hospice care. By utilizing this tool and understanding the data it provides, patients and families can confidently navigate the process of selecting a hospice provider that meets their specific needs and ensures quality end-of-life care.
