The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) noted that hospice election statements lacked required information or had other vulnerabilities in more than one-third of general inpatient care stays. Notably, many did not mention, as required, that the beneficiary was waiving coverage of certain Medicare services by electing hospice care or that hospice care is palliative rather than curative. Please see MLN Matters Special Edition Article SE1628 for requirements about hospices and election statements. Model Medicare Hospice Election Statement language is included at the end of this article.
CMS Releases Samples of Hospice Physician Certification /Recertification
Documentation Requirements for the Hospice Physician Certification/Recertification
This article is intended to provide guidance on the requirements for a valid physician certification and recertification. Any examples provided in this article are for illustration purposes only and do not in any way imply this is the only acceptable format. Hospice providers may choose to design their own forms or format, so long as all requirements of a valid physician certification are met.