Hospice Tip: Palliative Care Acknowledgement in the Hospice Election Statement

The individual's or representative's (as applicable) acknowledgment that the individual has been given a full understanding of hospice care, particularly the palliative rather than curative nature of treatment, must be documented. In the hospice medical record, include the individual’s or representative’s (as applicable) acknowledgment that the individual understands that certain Medicare services are waived by the election. This is a requirement of the Hospice election statement, please review MLN Matters Special Edition Articles SE1631 (PDF) for specific requirements as well as example text.