Hospice repayment demands vary by state

Some 400 hospices in 31 states are expected to receive letters from the federal government asking them to repay an estimated $300 million in Medicare funds they received for hospice services provided in 2006. The number indicates the percentage of hospices expected to receive the repayment demands in each state.

Alabama -- 52 percent

Arizona-- 33 percent

Arkansas -- 18 percent

California -- 14 percent

Colorado -- 5 percent

Florida -- 12 percent

Georgia -- 20 percent

Idaho -- 17 percent

Illinois -- 5 percent

Indiana -- 11 percent

Iowa -- 3 percent

Kansas -- 10 percent

Louisiana -- 20 percent

Michigan -- 5 percent

Minnesota -- 4 percent

Mississippi -- 60 percent

Missouri -- 7 percent

Montana -- 10 percent

New Mexico -- 29 percent

North Carolina -- 12 percent

Ohio -- 6 percent

Oklahoma -- 48 percent

Pennsylvania -- 7 percent

South Carolina -- 20 percent

Tennessee -- 6 percent

Texas -- 12 percent

Utah -- 40 percent

Virginia -- 7 percent

West Virginia -- 13 percent

Wisconsin -- 4 percent

Wyoming -- 13 percent

(Source: National Alliance for Hospice Access)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)