We can't forget healthcare is a limited resource. Cost will always be important. Hospice is all about dying with dignity, comfort, and support. And if med changes don't support those goals you're...
Once again that doesn't mean the hospice agency needs to cover it without first trying formulary meds. And there's almost always a few more cost effective meds to try. This has been standard operating...
Most hospices would try other neuropathic meds within formulary before trying exotic meds. There should be many old school and cost effective choices to try first (TCAs, anticonvulsants, local...
Yep, unless you need it. On the other hand, med coverage will soon be more complete and cost effective for most patients and families. It's probably more accurate to say the key is to not start a...
Although it will be less often, there'll still be cases where the patient may have to pay out of pocket. The patient has to be willing to play ball. If the patient refuses to try hospice formulary...
"Hospice has been a good business." Too good. Too many start ups falling over themselves to get in while the gettin' was good. What other business could one start and not experience the traditionally...
Exactly. Few seems to understand how far reaching this change is. It's more than covering the terminal diagnosis, it's bundling secondary diagnoses and conditions that contribute to the pt's decline,...
Hospice bundling in the past was only around the terminal diagnosis and included many caveats. Soon it will be bundling coexisting and additional diagnoses related to the term condition or related...
As with many, we've been covering everything related to the primary term diagnosis for years and now just beginning to do the ground work in prep for covering any related illness. We're being...
It will get ugly for many hospice agencies very quickly. Hospice conditions of participation are pretty clear that hospice agencies can't cherry-pick patients. The patient is either hospice...