Medicare Hospice Benefit
1.
2.
3.
4.

Medicare Hospice Benefit


Eligibility: for Medicare Part A benefits
Patient with 2 doctors to certify terminal illness that if allowed to follow it’s natural course would result in prognosis of “six months or less.”


Sign a statement choosing Hospice benefit over other Medicare part A benefits for this illness.
Certification period initially 90 days

Medicare Hospice Benefit


Initial certification: 90, 90, then 60 thereafter
Need verbal cert within 2 calendar days of starting services (by the end of third day) and then complete written certifications
 For subsequent certifications must have physician’s written cert no more than 15 days prior or 2 days after the re-certification date

Medicare Hospice Benefit


 Pre-hospice Consult may be provided by a hospice doctor (employee of a Hospice). This is only paid when/if the patient elects hospice. Must meet several criteria:
 Pt has never been on hospice before or had a pre hospice consult before
Physician does not write prescriptions for pt
Cannot have other physician services from same Dr same day.

Medicare Hospice Benefit
Levels of care covered:
 Routine homecare
 General Inpatient
 Continuous homecare
 Respite care

Question:


Mrs C has dementia and is cared for by her husband in their home. Mr C has a heart attack and is admitted to the hospital.
Their daughter wants Mrs C admitted to the hospital for care while her Dad is hospitalized.


Can the patient be admitted?
Would this be routine homecare , respite, or
GIP level of care?
 What else could be done?

Medicare Hospice Benefit








Nursing
Aide/homemaker
Social worker
Spiritual care and counseling
Speech/OT/PT or other therapies related to TI volunteers
*Physician oversight
Bereavement services

Medicare Hospice Benefit




F2F for Recertification: 2 -90 day periods then unlimited 60. Prior to entering the third benefit period, a Face to Face Encounter with a physician (or NP) employed by the hospice is required.
Every recertification thereafter a Face to Face
Encounter is required prior to the start of new benefit period.
May be completed up to 30 days prior to recertification.
Nonbillable

Question:
You are the hospice medical director assigned to complete Mrs. Q’s F2F visit, but you don’t complete it until after the start of the 3 rd benefit period (after day 180). What happens next?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Patient remains on svc and F2F is completed as soon as you are able.
Patient is discharged from svc & readmitted once F2F completed
Patient is discharged and not readmitted
Physician notes why unable to complete visit and makes sure to complete next F2F prior to next benefit period.

Question:
Mrs Q has been on hospice in Florida for 100 days for CHF. She moves to Michigan to live with her daughter. She signs on to your hospice, when do you need to do F2F?
A.
Day 1 of admission
B.
C.
D.
Day 1-15
Before Day 80
Before Day 180

Question:
Mr B has been taking keppra to prevent seizures from his brain tumors. Keppra is expensive, and not on your formulary. Pharmacy suggests dilantin, but Mr and Mrs B are afraid to switch.
Which of these options is NOT an allowable policy decision?
A.
Allow to continue and hospice pay for
Keppra.
B.
C.
Allow them to continue Keppra patient pay.
Tell them they “have to” switch to dilantin.

Medicare Hospice Benefit
Hospice will provide all
 Medications
 Equipment
 Services
Needed for comfort care of patient’s terminal illness as determined by the care team. The care team is responsible for plan of care.

Question:
Mr N has end stage COPD. His brother comes to visit and calls 911 when Mr N gets dyspneic.
Mr N is treated with an albuterol treatment in the ER (which he had at home) and returns to his apartment.
Who pays for the ER visit?

Question:
Mrs S. plans a weekend visit to family in
Tennessee. She has a pain crisis in Kentucky and is hospitalized in Lexington. She is still an active patient on your service.
 Who pays for the admission?
 What do you do next since you cannot provide care in Kentucky?
A.
Revoke/discharge from hospice
B.
C.
Transfer to a local Ky hospice
Air lift patient back to Michigan

Question:
Mrs W has multiple myeloma with several painful areas of bone. She falls and femur is found to be fractured. She is hospitalized.
She elects surgical repair of the hip…
 Who pays for the surgery?


Is it related or unrelated?
Is it comfort care or aggressive care?

Question:
Mrs D finds a new treatment for her end stage cancer available in Mexico. She decides to travel to Mexico to try it. Your team advises against it. She signs off your hospice for the trip.
 Is that a revocation or a discharge?

Reference
 Hospice Conditions of Participation http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-
Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/downloads/som10
7ap_m_hospice.pdf