OIG: Hospice Providers Need More Frequent Recertification Surveys

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is recommending that hospice providers undergo more frequent recertification surveys.

According to a new OIG report, about 17 percent of state-surveyed hospices have not been recertified in six years. In some states, that figure is as high as 25 percent.

Following a 2005 survey that showed similar results, the OIG recommended to CMS that recertification happen every three years. Instead, CMS readjusted annual survey targets. In 2013, the target was every 6.5 years. This timeframe is not federally regulated, like it is for nursing homes.

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