Evaluation of the Rural Hospice Demonstration

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the impact of the Rural Hospice Demonstration on changes in the hospice utilization and benefits to the community for Medicare beneficiaries with terminal diagnoses who reside in rural areas but lack an appropriate caregiver. Two rural hospice facilities enrolled in the demonstration, which will last up to five years. Under the demonstration, CMS will reimburse hospices for the full range of care provided within their walls. For one of the hospices in the demonstration, CMS will also waive the 20-percent inpatient day cap and the requirement that the hospice must provide care in the community. Evaluation tasks include monitoring the progress of the demonstration and the preparation of case studies and impact analyses using secondary data. Evaluation results will be incorporated into a Report to Congress when the demonstration ends.