Accredited Hospice in Detroit,
MI | CHAP & Medicare Certified
St. Marie’s Hospice is CHAP-accredited, Medicare-certified since 2015, and BCBS-affiliated — verified quality care across Detroit, Southfield & Michigan.
CERTIFICATIONS & ACCREDITATIONS
How St. Marie's Hospice Meets the Highest Standards in End-of-Life Care Across Detroit, Michigan
When you choose a hospice, you’re trusting strangers to care for someone you love during one of the hardest chapters of your life. Credentials aren’t paperwork — they’re the difference between a hospice that’s been independently tested against national standards, and one that hasn’t.
St. Marie’s Hospice holds three credentials that verify how we operate from the outside: Medicare certification through CMS, CHAP accreditation, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan affiliation. Here’s what each one actually means for your family.
Why Accreditation Matters (And Why Most Families Don't
Know to Ask)
When you choose a hospice, you’re trusting strangers to care for someone you love during one of the hardest chapters of your life. Credentials aren’t paperwork — they’re the difference between a hospice that’s been independently tested against national standards, and one that hasn’t.
St. Marie’s Hospice holds three credentials that verify how we operate from the outside: Medicare certification through CMS, CHAP accreditation, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan affiliation. Here’s what each one actually means for your family.
Medicare Certification Since July 2015
Our CMS certification has two sides — one financial, one clinical.
Financially, Medicare-certified providers are the only hospices eligible to bill the Medicare Hospice Benefit, which covers physician visits, nursing, medications, equipment, therapies, counseling, and bereavement support — typically at no out-of-pocket cost. If a hospice isn’t certified, that coverage doesn’t apply. We’ve helped families untangle surprise billing more than once after transferring from uncertified providers.
Clinically, certification means operating under the federal Conditions of Participation for Hospice — detailed rules on staffing, care planning, patient rights, infection control, and quality monitoring. We’re subject to unannounced surveys. Surveyors review charts, interview staff, and ask patients directly whether policies match what actually happens at the bedside. Serious deficiencies can cost a provider its certification. We’ve held ours for over a decade.
CHAP Accreditation: The Gold Standard
If Medicare certification is the floor, CHAP accreditation is the ceiling.The Community Health Accreditation Partner is a nonprofit accrediting body recognized by CMS — but its standards go well beyond federal baselines. CHAP reviews clinical best practices, leadership, financial stability, patient experience, and demonstrated improvement year over year.
Most families don’t realize this: CHAP accreditation is completely voluntary. No hospice is required to pursue it. The ones that do are choosing to open their operations to deeper review than the government alone demands.CHAP’s on-site process involves chart audits, staff interviews, and leadership assessments. Reviewers examine how care is actually delivered — not just how it’s documented. That answers the question no brochure can: Is this hospice as good on a Tuesday morning as it is on the day they’re trying to impress someone?
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Affiliation
Our BCBS affiliation matters for one reason: access. Many families assume hospice is only a Medicare benefit. It isn’t. BCBS commercial plans often include hospice and palliative care coverage, and working with an affiliated provider means accessing those benefits without referral friction or surprise out-of-network bills. Our team verifies coverage and handles prior authorization directly — before care begins — so you aren’t fielding insurance questions during the hardest weeks of your life.
What These Credentials Mean at the Bedside
Credentials are abstract until you see them translate into care. Your nurse has been credentialed, not just hired. Your care plan meets federal standards, reviewed by an interdisciplinary team on a required schedule. Your financial exposure is predictable — we can’t send surprise bills for covered services, because regulation prohibits it. Your concerns have somewhere to go: CMS, CHAP, and state regulators all provide independent grievance paths. And your care is measured — pain control, symptom management, family satisfaction — reported, reviewed, and acted on.
A Standard We're Accountable To — Every Day
Accreditation isn’t the only thing that makes a hospice worth trusting. The skill and compassion of the people at the bedside matter enormously. But in an industry where quality varies significantly — and where patients often can’t advocate for themselves — accreditation is the most reliable starting point families have.
Our credentials aren’t marketing language. They’re the standard we’ve agreed to be measured against every day across Detroit, Southfield, Troy, Warren, and the Michigan tri-county area — whether or not anyone is watching.
Questions About Our Credentials? We Welcome Them.
We believe families should verify every hospice they consider — including ours. Call (800) 489-7977 to request documentation, schedule a free consultation, or ask the questions you haven’t had a chance to ask yet.