Medicare Advantage Growth Stalls as Hospice Admissions Surge

The report, released today in Atlanta, transforms the industry’s annual benchmark into an interactive analytical tool. Data shows that while Medicare Advantage growth has leveled off, other sectors are finding a new baseline. Fee-for-service hospice admissions rose by 4.1% in 2025, reaching 1.68 million, while skilled nursing facilities saw their first annual increase in admissions since 2022.

"Post-acute care organizations are navigating a market shaped by increasingly complex patient needs and evolving payer dynamics," said Scott Tapp, CEO of Trella Health. The findings underscore a widening disparity in operational efficiency. For instance, the average time from hospital discharge to home health care has crept up to 3.3 days nationally, with performance varying wildly between states. Meanwhile, the financial impact of care timing remains stark: patients enrolled in hospice for 121 days or more incurred $29,000 less in end-of-life costs than those who never enrolled.

As the healthcare sector prepares for the requirements of the TEAM model, providers face mounting pressure to prove value to referral partners. With costs for surgical episodes ranging from $30,000 to over $51,000, the ability to demonstrate high-quality, efficient transitions is becoming a primary competitive advantage. The interactive platform allows leaders to dissect these trends by state, covering metrics from length of stay to discharge patterns.