Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementia Are The Third Most Common Hospice Diagnoses

One-third of Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries in hospice receive a primary or secondary diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia (ADRD), according to a recent report. The top three primary diagnoses among beneficiaries admitted to hospice were cancer, accounting for 29.2%; cardiovascular disease, accounting for 17.4%; and ADRD, accounting for 15.9%. One-fifth (20.8%) of beneficiaries admitted to hospice with a primary diagnosis other than ADRD had a secondary diagnosis of ADRD.

These findings were based on an analysis of Medicare FFS hospice claims data for stays starting on or after . . .