Levels of Hospice Care
Four Levels of Care
The four levels of Care defined by Medicare hospice Benefit are routine homecare, continuous home care, inpatient respite care and general inpatient Care.
Routine Home Care
Is the basic care provided by the hospice in the patient’s home. For the purposes of the hospice benefit, the patient’s home may include an adult congregate living facility or a long-term care facility that allows patients with needs that cannot be met in a private residence access to hospice services. (The cost of room and board for adult congregate living or long-term care facility care is not covered by the hospice.) It is covered by medical/private insurance.
Continuous Home Care
May be indicated during a period of crisis in the home, typically with the emergence of uncontrolled symptoms that require more intensive and continuous nursing care than generally provided under routine home care and when the patient desires to remain at home. The care must be primarily, but not exclusively, nursing.
Inpatient Respite Care
Is most commonly used when it is determined that the patients caregivers would benefit from some respite from the day-to-day care they provide at home. The respite level of care may not be billed for in excess of 5 consecutive days at any one time.
General Inpatient Care
Is an option to provide patients access to general inpatient care for the management of pain and other symptoms that cannot be managed at home.
