Final Rule Hospice Patients in Long Term Care Facilities

CMS published a final rule in the Federal Register on the “Requirements for Long Term Care Facilities: Hospice Services”.  This will require all Long Term Care Facilities (that is, SNF’s and NFs) that chose to arrange for the provision of hospice care through an agreement with one or more Medicare-Certified hospice providers would have in place a written agreement with the hospice that specified the roles and responsibilities of each entity.  The rule was proposed on October 22, 2010 and the final rule was published on June 24, 2013.  The effective date of the final rule is August 26, 2013. 

We have listed two links below.  The first link is the proposed rule and the second link is the final rule.  We are showing both links because it is easier to read the first rule, because it is not cluttered with comments and responses.  There are only minor changes between the proposed rule and the final rule.  On page 38603 of the Final Rule it lists the changes it makes to the proposed rule.  If you provide hospice services in Long Term Care Facilities, we encourage you to closely review the proposed and final rule. 

Link to Proposed Rule

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2010-10-22/pdf/2010-26395.pdf

Link to Final Rule

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-06-27/pdf/2013-15313.pdf