WAC 388-551-1310   Hospice election periods, election statements, and the hospice certification process.  (1) Hospice coverage is available for two ninety-day election periods followed by an unlimited number of sixty-day election periods. A client or a client's authorized representative must sign an election statement to initiate or reinitiate an election period for hospice care.

     (2) The election statement must be filed in the client's hospice medical record within two calendar days following the day the hospice care begins and requires all of the following:

     (a) Name and address of the hospice agency that will provide the care;

     (b) Documentation that the client is fully informed and understands hospice care and waiver of other medicaid and/or medicare services;

     (c) Effective date of the election; and

     (d) Signature of the client or the client's authorized representative.

     (3) The following describes the hospice certification process:

     (a) When a client elects to receive hospice care, the department requires a hospice agency to:

     (i) Obtain a signed written certification of the client's terminal illness; or

     (ii) Document in the client's medical file that a verbal certification was obtained and follow up a documented verbal certification with a written certification signed by:

     (A) The medical director of the hospice agency or a physician staff member of the interdisciplinary team; and

     (B) The client's attending physician (if the client has one).

     (iii) Place the signed written certification of the client's terminal illness in the client's medical file:

     (A) Within sixty days following the day the hospice care begins; and

     (B) Before billing the department for the hospice services.

     (b) For subsequent election periods, the department requires the hospice agency to:

     (i) Obtain a signed written certification statement of the client's terminal illness; or

     (ii) Document in the client's medical file that a verbal certification was obtained and follow up a documented verbal certification with a written certification signed by the medical director of the hospice agency or a physician staff member of the hospice agency; and

     (iii) Place the written certification of the client's terminal illness in the client's medical file:

     (A) Within two calendar days following the beginning of a subsequent election period; and

     (B) Before billing the department for the hospice services.

     (4) When a client's hospice coverage ends within an election period (e.g., the client revokes hospice care), the remainder of that election period is forfeited. The client may reinstate the hospice benefit at any time by providing an election statement and meeting the certification process requirements.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.09.520. 05-18-033, § 388-551-1310, 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. 99-09-007, § 388-551-1310, filed 4/9/99, effective 5/10/99.]