Ohio’s Hospice was founded to strengthen not-for-profit community hospices. By joining forces, the affiliates of Ohio’s Hospice share resources and are able to thrive and continue to provide valued services while also benefiting from increased sustainability in a highly competitive and challenging healthcare environment.

Today, of the 4,300 hospices in the United States, 68 percent are for-profit corporations. Why should that matter? Frankly, because there is a difference in the quality of care and commitment to local communities. Even though not-for-profit and for-profit hospices are paid the same, for-profit corporations use tactics to reduce costs and generate more profit for shareholders or owners. Some comparative examples:

Not-for-profit hospice providers:

• Spend 25 percent more on our comprehensive care per patient
• Provide more care in home settings
• Discharge patients before dying at a lower percentage
• Re-admit for hospital care 50 percent less
• Admit higher cost and higher acuity patients, like those diagnosed with cancer
• Admit all patients with a terminal illness, seven days a week
• Provide no-cost comprehensive bereavement services to ALL in the community

For-profit hospice providers:

• Spend 25 percent less per patient than not-for-profit hospices
• Provide less care in home settings
• Discharge patients at a higher percentage before dying
• Re-admit almost twice as many patients to hospitals for care
• Admit fewer higher-acuity and cancer patients
• Provide little or contract out bereavement services

Not-for-profit hospices invest dollars in clinical education to enhance care, offer additional therapeutic treatments, and yes — we also accept patients regardless of ability to pay. We believe our mission is important to those facing end of life and to the communities we are privileged to serve. We think it is important for you to know whether the hospice providing care for your loved one is part of a corporation with the primary goal of generating profit, or a community-based hospice committed to the highest quality of care for your loved one. You have a right to be informed and a right to choose.

We need to preserve and protect the legacy of community-based, not-for-profit hospice care in the U.S. Learn #WhyItMatters by clicking here.