Corrections & Data Updates
Every listing on HospiceAtlas is assembled from public CMS Care Compare data, plus (on claimed listings) details a verified provider representative adds. Different pieces of a listing have different owners, so the honest answer to "can you fix this?" depends on which piece it is. This page maps that out, then tells you exactly how to submit a correction.
Who controls what
| Data type | Examples | Who controls it | How it changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMS-source data | Name, address, phone, ownership type, certification date, star ratings and survey measures, the ZIP-code service area | CMS, from what your hospice reports to Medicare | At the source. Correct it with CMS (through your usual Medicare reporting channel or Medicare Administrative Contractor); our copy updates automatically at the next quarterly CMS refresh. We never hand-edit CMS-sourced fields. |
| Provider-controlled details | Description, website, photos, languages, care details, Medicaid acceptance, private-pay note, the service-area clarification note | The verified representative of the hospice | Directly, after verification. Submit through the claim form below; already-verified providers can update by reply (see below). |
| HospiceAtlas-derived | County groupings, the quality-based sort order, "not enough survey data yet" states, California license-badge matching | HospiceAtlas | We correct genuine processing errors directly and promptly. The inputs underneath stay CMS and CDPH data. |
| Disputed content | A contested claim of a listing, or a provider-added detail another party disputes | HospiceAtlas, reviewing evidence from both sides | Edits to the listing freeze while we review. The CMS-sourced baseline stays live throughout. Every decision and its evidence is logged. |
Submit a correction
The claim form is our correction intake for provider listings. If you work at the hospice, use it whether or not you intend to claim a paid tier: enter the CCN, describe the fix in the message field, and submit. We verify that you are authorized to represent the hospice, then apply whatever is provider-controlled.
Already verified? No new form needed. Reply to your verification email thread from hello@hospiceatlas.com with the change, and we apply it after a quick check. Provider-controlled updates from verified representatives are typically live within one business day, followed by a page refresh.
Not affiliated with the hospice? If you're a family member or reader who spots an error, email hello@hospiceatlas.com and we'll route it: provider-controlled and HospiceAtlas-derived issues to our own review, CMS-sourced issues to a note on the listing's next refresh check.
What changes directly, and what has to change at the source
Provider-controlled details and our own processing errors we fix directly.
CMS-sourced fields are different on purpose. Star ratings, ownership, addresses, and the ZIP-code service area flow from the public CMS Care Compare files on a quarterly refresh, and every page shows the data date it was built from. We don't hand-edit those fields even when a provider tells us they're stale, because a silently patched copy would no longer match the public record it claims to represent. The fix belongs at the source; once CMS publishes it, our next refresh picks it up automatically.
The verified clarification note
There is one honest middle ground for the most common complaint, "our CMS service area is out of date." A verified provider representative can add a short clarification note, for example: "We now serve all of Collin County; the CMS file hasn't caught up yet."
We review the note, verify it with the representative, and date it. It then renders on the profile beside the CMS service area, clearly attributed ("The provider reports: …") and marked with its verification date. It never replaces or hides the CMS data; readers see both and can weigh them.
Disputes
If a claim is contested, or someone disputes a provider-added detail, edits to that listing freeze while we review evidence from both sides. The CMS-sourced baseline stays live throughout: a dispute never takes a hospice off the map. Decisions are logged with their evidence and reflected in the listing's verification record.
To dispute content on any listing, email hello@hospiceatlas.com with the listing URL and what you believe is wrong.