PDFWAC 182-551-1330

Hospice—Client care and responsibilities of hospice agencies.

(1) A hospice agency must facilitate a client's continuity of care with nonhospice providers to ensure that medically necessary care, both related and not related to the terminal illness, is met. This includes:
(a) Determining if the medicaid agency has approved a request for prescribed medical equipment, such as a wheelchair. If the prescribed item is not delivered to the client before the client becomes covered by a hospice agency, the medicaid agency will rescind the approval. See WAC 182-543-9100(7).
(b) Communicating with other medicaid programs and documenting the services a client is receiving in order to prevent duplication of payment and to ensure continuity of care. Other medicaid programs include, but are not limited to, programs administered by the department of social and health services aging and disability services administration (ADSA).
(c) Documenting each contact with nonhospice providers.
(2) When a client resides in a nursing facility, the hospice agency must:
(a) Coordinate the client's care with all providers, including pharmacies and medical vendors; and
(b) Provide the same level of hospice care the hospice agency provides to a client residing in their home.
(3) Once a client chooses hospice care, hospice agency staff must notify and inform the client of the following:
(a) By choosing hospice care from a hospice agency, the client gives up the right to:
(i) Covered medicaid hospice service and supplies received at the same time from another hospice agency; and
(ii) Any covered medicaid services and supplies received from any other provider that are necessary for the palliation and management of the terminal illness and related medical conditions.
(b) Services and supplies are not paid through the hospice daily rate if they are:
(i) Proven to be clinically unrelated to the palliation and management of the client's terminal illness and related medical conditions (see WAC 182-551-1210(3));
(ii) Not covered by the hospice daily rate;
(iii) Provided under a Title XIX medicaid program when the services are similar or duplicate the hospice care services; or
(iv) Not necessary for the palliation and management of the client's terminal illness and related medical conditions.
(4) A hospice agency must have written agreements with all contracted providers.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.021, Section 2302 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-148), and Section 1814 (a)(7) of the Social Security Act. WSR 12-09-079, § 182-551-1330, filed 4/17/12, effective 5/18/12. WSR 11-14-075, recodified as § 182-551-1330, filed 6/30/11, effective 7/1/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.09.520. WSR 05-18-033, § 388-551-1330, filed 8/30/05, effective 10/1/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.09.520, 74.08.090, 42 C.F.R. 418.22 and 418.24. WSR 99-09-007, § 388-551-1330, filed 4/9/99, effective 5/10/99.]