Why Nonprofit vs. For-Profit Hospice Matters and Why Choosing Gilchrist Makes a Difference

When a loved one is facing a serious illness, choosing a hospice is one of the most important decisions a family will ever make. But at a time when emotions are already high, many people don’t realize that not all hospices operate the same way or that the difference between nonprofit and for-profit models can directly shape the care a patient receives.

Gilchrist is proud to be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) hospice. For more than 30 years, our purpose has been clear: to care for anyone who needs us, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, and to provide the highest-quality, most comprehensive end-of-life support possible. As the hospice landscape continues to change nationwide, the distinction between nonprofit and for-profit hospice has become more important than ever.

What Is a For-Profit Hospice?

A for-profit hospice is a business owned by investors or shareholders. Like any business, its primary goal is to generate revenue and return value to its owners. The hospice receives the same daily Medicare reimbursement as any nonprofit hospice, but how those dollars are used can differ greatly.

Over the last two decades, for-profit hospices have rapidly expanded across the U.S., many backed by private equity firms. While some provide quality care, national research continues to show significant, consistent differences in staffing, visit frequency, and patient outcomes between for-profit and nonprofit models.

How Do Nonprofit Hospices Differ?

Nonprofit hospices like Gilchrist are mission-driven, not profit-driven. They reinvest revenue back into patient care, expand community programs, and offer services that Medicare does not reimburse, such as grief support, volunteer programs, and specialized pediatric, veterans, and dementia care. Nonprofits can also raise philanthropic funds to fill gaps in care, easing the burden for families and ensuring equitable access.

What National Data Shows: For-Profit vs. Nonprofit Hospice (Latest Findings)

Recent research from MEDPAC, the National Partnership for Hospice Innovation (NPHI), and CMS (2023–2024) continues to highlight meaningful differences:

Staffing & Visit Frequency

• Nonprofit hospices provide more nursing care, social work visits, and interdisciplinary support per patient day than for-profit hospices.
• A 2023 NPHI analysis found nonprofit hospices provide significantly more RN and social worker visits and maintain higher staffing ratios overall, leading to better symptom management and family support.

Care at the End of Life

• CMS reports that nonprofit hospices have higher rates of visits in the last days of life, a critical measure of quality.
• For-profit hospices continue to score lower on “Visits Near Death,” particularly for patients with complex needs.

A Mission That Puts People First

Gilchrist’s leadership believes the difference is not only structural, but it’s also deeply personal. “At Gilchrist, no one is denied care based on insurance or ability to pay. When a hospice is accountable to the community, not shareholders, every decision centers on what’s best for patients and families,” shares Shannon Wollman, Chief Philanthropy and Marketing Officer.

Why It Matters to You and Your Family

End-of-life care is not a commodity. It is a deeply human, vulnerable moment where the quality of care does more than ease symptoms—it brings comfort, dignity, and peace to patients and their families. Most importantly, nonprofits are not pressured to maximize profit. They are accountable to the community—not shareholders.

Programs Many For-Profit Hospices Do Not Offer

• Pediatric hospice to include perinatal support for parents who receive a prenatal diagnosis that their baby has a life-limiting condition
• Grief counseling beyond the first year of loss
• Veteran-specific care  
• Dementia care support programs
• Music therapy,  
• Hospice Care Centers

Why Families Choose Gilchrist

Gilchrist is Maryland’s leading nonprofit hospice, known for our comprehensive, compassionate approach grounded in decades of experience. We provide care for anyone who needs us. No one is turned away due to insurance status or ability to pay. Our nurses, physicians, social workers, chaplains, CNAs, and volunteers work collaboratively to support the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. Year after year, Gilchrist exceeds national benchmarks in family satisfaction and quality outcomes. As a nonprofit, everything we do is reinvested into care—not into shareholders, investors, or executives.

Nonprofit hospices were created to serve communities. For-profit hospices were created to serve shareholders. That difference becomes most visible when your family needs support the most. Shannon Wollman says it best: “As the mid-Atlantic’s leading nonprofit hospice, Gilchrist’s only bottom line is better care for our community. Every dollar we raise goes back into care—allowing us to support anyone who needs us, regardless of ability to pay. Hospice is not a business transaction; it’s a sacred moment in a family’s life, and nonprofit care reflects that.”

To better understand what sets Gilchrist apart and to explore our full continuum of care, visit:
gilchristcares.org/choice