The study ‘Use of the Medicare Posthospitalization Skilled Nursing Benefit in the last six months of life’, published online in the Archives of Internal Medicine states that “families often face an uncomfortable choice: either they pay for room and board out of pocket to have access to hospice services, or they continue under the Medicare SNF benefit, relying on nursing home services for palliative and end-of-life services.”
Commenting on the study NHPCO President and Chief Executive Officer, J. Donald Schumacher, said “I wish I could say that the results are a surprise, but we have known for years that the reimbursement system and regulations for the SNF benefit discourages or at least delays access to hospice care.” Schumacher went on to state, “Our goal is to ensure that patients and families have the kind of care they need when and where they need it.”
The study authors conclude that “Families shouldn’t have to forgo the benefits of hospice because of inconsistent polices. Patients and families ought to be able to seek the right care, at the right time, for the right reasons.”
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