EDITORIAL BRIEFING · September 23, 2026 · Not a previously published article by Dr. Diamond
CMS’s 2026 Hospice Monitoring Report examines utilization of the Original Medicare hospice benefit across federal fiscal years 2021–2025. It is a national lens on how care is used and delivered, not a judgment about any one patient’s eligibility.
What to ask of the data
Look at timing of enrollment, levels of care, and where patients receive services. Compare like populations and definitions. A low hospice-use rate can prompt a review of whether patients and families were offered a timely conversation; it does not by itself prove underuse or overuse.
Clinical prognosis, patient preferences, local access, and benefit rules still determine the appropriate plan for the individual. Treat aggregate data as a starting point for better questions.