Since its inception, the website has run into some trouble, including a recent misfire with the location search function. In November, CMS issued a warning that the function was not working properly.

On Tuesday, CMS issued a new guidance for Hospice providers to update demographic data, telling providers that if inaccurate data is included in their preview report or on Hospice Compare, they need to contact their Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC). MACs are regional private health insurers that have jurisdiction for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries.

In the guidance, CMS stated it was “working to improve the data used to power the search over the next several months” and “working with hospice agencies to ensure that the data they’re reporting to CMS is accurate and current.

The Hospice Compare data does not update in real time, similar to Home Health Compare, and reflects data that can take up to six months to appear. The December 2017 quarterly Hospice Compare refresh is based off of patient stays discharged for Q1 2016 through Q4 2016. The website’s November refresh was delayed to December.

Written by Amy Baxter