Do you know in advance how long a hospice patient will need care?

Hospice physicians exercise their best clinical judgment when determining length of stay; however, at the initial admission to hospice, two physicians have determined that the patient has six months or less to live should the disease continue upon its expected course.

Hospice has certification periods: two 90-day periods and one 30-day period. The hospice medical director reviews the patient’s status at weekly IDT meetings and must determine that the patient is terminally ill having 6 months or less to live at the end of each certification period.

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1. Who decides if a patient needs hospice care?
2. Do you know in advance how long a hospice patient will need care?
3. Do I need to get my doctor to refer me to hospice care or can I call on my own?
4. What if I am in hospice care and I get better?
5. Where do I receive hospice care?
6. What if things get to the point where I can’t stay at home to receive care?
7. How do I pay for hospice care?
8. If my relative wasn’t in hospice care when they died, can I still go to grief counseling?
9. You talk a lot about advance care planning and I want to do it. Is there a cost? How do I start?