Hospices, Medicare, and MAID - CMS Urged to Investigate

Almost all 30,000 U.S. patients who received a MAID prescription have been on hospice. And hospices receive almost all of their income from Medicare. Yet, the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act of 1997 (ASFRA) prohibits federal money from being spent on MAID. How can these facts be reconciled?   

Hospices are careful to avoid billing for services related to MAID. So, there have been no violations of ASFRA. But some groups are pushing CMS to more closely scrutinize and regulate ASFRA compliance.