BALTIMORE—The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the list of the 50 hospice companies selected for participation in the 2025 Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP). The SFP program, which will be led by the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, aims to improve hospice quality through increased health and safety oversights. Additionally, CMS said the program intends to improve hospice care for patients and families by holding hospice agencies accountable to national health and safety standards.
CMS has also generated a list of future SFP candidates, but will be publishing the candidate list at a later date. However, CMS said it will be sharing the underlying data used to create both lists in an effort to allow for external review and ensure transparency. CMS has released the underlying data, the list of the initial cohort of 50 hospices, the SFP user’s guide and more on their website.