Medicare Often Overbilled By Hospices, Pays Twice For Some Drugs

During 2012, hospice provider organizations inappropriately billed Medicare for one-third of care provided at the general inpatient (GIP) level in hospital or skilled nursing facility settings. Medicare sometimes paid twice for drugs for hospice beneficiaries during GIP stays because the drugs were paid for under the beneficiaries’ Part D plans, although the drugs should have been provided by the hospice and covered under the hospice daily payment rate for the GIP level of care.

In 2013, Medicare paid $15.1 billion for hospice care for 1.3 million beneficiaries. The Medicare hospice benefit provides palliative care to beneficiaries diagnosed . . .