Summary:
- The article examines the hospice care industry, specifically focusing on the case of AseraCare, a large for-profit hospice provider that was accused of Medicare fraud by the U.S. government.
- It highlights the challenges in determining whether a patient is truly eligible for hospice care, as the criteria can be subjective, leading to disputes between hospice providers and the government over the appropriate use of Medicare funds.
- The article also explores the financial incentives within the hospice care industry, where providers may be tempted to enroll patients who are not necessarily at the end of their lives in order to maximize profits, despite the intended purpose of hospice care to provide compassionate care for the terminally ill.