To receive hospice care, a doctor must diagnose the patient with a terminal illness. The patient must also have a life expectancy of up to six months if the disease follows its normal course. Some patients, however, live longer than this period.
If the hospice physician or director decides that the patient no longer meets the six-month prognosis, they will discharge the patient. The patient will then return to community care.
If the terminal illness continues, the doctor may recertify the patient for hospice. Medicare allows unlimited hospice coverage with 90-day, 90-day, and 60-day periods. The patient must remain eligible to continue receiving care.
The patient’s physician stays involved in the recertification process. They monitor the patient’s condition and update the prognosis as needed.