|
How to Work With Hospice: Hospice Admission Criteria
To be admitted to the Hospice program, a patient must meet the following admission criteria:
-
The patient must have a terminal condition with a prognosis of six months or less, either due to a specific diagnosis or a combination of diseases.
[Note: if the disease does NOT progress in a normal or expected course, Hospice appropriateness is extended beyond six months.]
-
The patient must be aware of his or her condition and both patient and family must agree to palliative care.
Admission criterion is based upon the clinical judgment of the patient+=s attending physician. While Medicare requires physicians certify that patients are terminally ill and have a short prognosis before they may elect Hospice services, recent legislation recognizes the fact that medical prognostication of life expectancy is not always exact. The legislation clarifies that "a physician's certification of a patient is based upon clinical judgment regarding the normal course of illness."
Current rules specify Hospice must receive the attending physician+=s Hospice Certification Statement within eight days of your patient's admission to the program. As always, please help us with the paperwork!
|
|
| | |