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Community Healthcare of Texas Leaders Meet with Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne to Address Medicare Hospice Fraud and Abuse
On Thursday, leaders from Community Healthcare of Texas (CHOT), the state’s largest not-for-profit hospice and palliative care provider, met with U.S. Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) to continue discussions on fraud and abuse within the Medicare hospice benefit. This meeting, the second between CHOT and the Congresswoman, focused on the ongoing challenges of ensuring proper oversight and protecting vulnerable patients.
CHOT CEO Viki Jingle and Chief Strategy Officer Robin Carter first met with Congresswoman Van Duyne in May 2023. Since then, Van Duyne has emerged as a leading advocate for hospice patients and their families, working in a bipartisan effort with Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) to combat hospice fraud and abuse. Most recently, Van Duyne, Blumenauer, and 38 bipartisan lawmakers sent a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, seeking answers on the implementation of recent reforms aimed at curbing fraudulent practices in the hospice industry.
“We are witnessing an alarmingly rapid growth of for-profit hospice agencies across Texas. Since 2020, 240 new for-profit hospices have opened in our state. Unfortunately, with limited oversight, the hospice Medicare benefit—originally designed to care for patients at their most vulnerable—is now putting patients at risk,” said Jingle. “We are incredibly grateful to Congresswoman Van Duyne for her continued efforts to address this issue and work toward solutions that will make a real difference for the patients and families in our community.”
The leadership team at Community Healthcare of Texas remains committed to working closely with state and national partners to ensure that patient-centered care remains a top priority. Through collaboration with organizations such as the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) and the Texas Non-Profit Hospice Alliance(TNPHA), CHOT continues to advocate for stronger oversight and reforms that will protect patients and families from fraudulent practices in the hospice sector.
About Community Healthcare of Texas
Community Healthcare of Texas (CHOT) is the largest not-for-profit hospice and palliative care provider in Texas, serving patients and families across 24 counties. With a commitment to providing compassionate, high-quality care, CHOT offers a full spectrum of services designed to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients and their families facing a serious or life-limiting illness. For more information, visit www.chot.org.
