Research Brief: Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans Linked to Use of Inferior Hospice Care 

By Chris Tachibana, PhD, MS for Penn LDI on March 11, 2025

Beneficiaries of Medicare Advantage special needs plans are significantly more likely to use lower-quality hospices than beneficiaries of other Medicare plans. These disparities may result from the geographic availability of high-quality hospices or the referrals that beneficiaries receive from their plans’ contracted hospitals and nursing homes. The results support incentivizing referrals to high-quality hospices and improving consumer information about hospice quality. Read here...

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