The Rural Access to Hospice Act addresses a statutory barrier
that inhibits access to hospice in rural communities. When
patients enroll in hospice, they select a physician or nurse
practitioner to serve as their attending physician. The attending
physician collaborates with the hospice in the development of
the care plan, and is kept informed of the patient's care.
Typically, the attending physician is reimbursed for these
services under Medicare Part B. Unfortunately, Rural Health
Clinics (RHCs) or Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
do not bill Medicare under Part B; they are paid a fixed,
all-inclusive payment for all services provided to Medicare
beneficiaries. Because of this billing challenge RHC and FQHC
clinicians cannot be paid for hospice attending physician
services. The Rural Access to Hospice Act corrects this problem
by allowing RHCs and FQHCs to receive payment for serving
as the hospice attending physician.
Visit the HAN website for more information about HAN's Legislative Agenda.
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Fall 2016 | NHPCO NewsLine
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2016