Hospice Eligibility Criteria
Early referral to hospice increases patients’ likelihood of having a pain free and comfortable end-of-life. To begin hospice care, a patient is required to meet the hospice eligibility criteria established by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
While no specific illness or symptoms are required to qualify for hospice, by law, healthcare professionals must certify that the patient meets the Hospice eligibility guidelines for a referral to a hospice provider.
Hospice Eligibility Requirements
For patients to be eligible for hospice, consider the following guidelines
These guidelines are not a replacement to a medical professional’s judgment but provide a convenient tool to help physicians determine when is the right time for a patient to start hospice.
Disease-Specific Hospice Eligibility Guideline
Apart from the general hospice eligibility criteria, there are specific hospice eligibility guidelines based on the patient’s primary diagnosis.
Here’s a list of disease-specific hospice eligibility guidelines.