RN 2.0 Leadership Questions&Answers 2023(A+GRADED 100%VERIFIED)

Medicare and Medicaid hospice benefits criteria allow patients with a life expectancy of 6 months or less to be admitted to the hospice. However, the median length of stay in a hospice program is just 21.3 days. Which of the following reasons explains underuse of hospice care services? a) Patients/families view palliative care as giving up b) Lack of fully credentialed and trained hospice nurses c) Difficulty obtaining Medicare certification for hospice services d) Lack of Medicare/Medicaid funding for hospice - ANS a) Patients/families view palliative care as giving up Lack of fully credentialed and trained hospice patients is not a barrier to hospice care. Patients equate hospice with "giving up" and are reluctant to accept hospice. Lack of Medicare funding or certification for hospice service providers has not been documented as a barrier to access of hospice services.