Determining Relatedness in Hospice: What Should Be Covered & How to Communicate & Document

Description

Relatedness decisions affect every part of hospice care. 

Gain a clear, defensible framework for determining, documenting, and communicating what is related to the terminal illness while meeting today’s Medicare hospice benefit requirements.

KEY WEBINAR TAKEAWAYS 

• Medicare’s expectations for determining what is and isn’t related to the terminal illness and related conditions
• A practical, patient-specific approach to relatedness decisions involving diagnoses, medications, treatments, services, and supplies
• FY 2027 changes to the hospice election statement addendum and why relatedness decisions, documentation, and communication will become even more important
• Opportunities to strengthen interdisciplinary decision-making and documentation so the clinical record supports what the hospice covers — and what it does not

Webinar Details

Determining what is and is not related to a hospice patient’s terminal illness is one of the most critical and frequently challenging responsibilities under the Medicare hospice benefit. These decisions reach far beyond coverage of medications — they directly impact care planning, services, supplies, outside providers, billing, patient and family expectations, and the organization’s overall compliance and financial stability. When relatedness is unclear or inconsistently applied, the risk is not just confusion at the bedside — it can quickly become a systemic issue across the entire hospice.

Now that the FY 2027 Hospice Final Rule is in effect, the stakes are even higher. The election statement addendum has made relatedness determinations more visible, more formalized, and more consequential in day-to-day practice. This session will help hospice teams move beyond uncertainty and inconsistency, focusing on how to confidently make, document, and communicate relatedness decisions in a way that supports both compliance and patient understanding. Documentation and timeline requirements will also be reviewed, including the proper use of the election statement addendum and the ABN when applicable. Participants will leave with a clearer framework and process for navigating these decisions in real time, documenting their communications, and ensuring their organization is aligned, defensible, and prepared for what is now a fully implemented regulatory expectation.

THIS WEBINAR WILL BENEFIT THE FOLLOWING AGENCIES:

 Hospice

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? 

• Hospice administrators and executive leaders
• Clinical directors, directors of nursing, and clinical managers
• Compliance and quality leaders
• Hospice physicians, medical directors, NPs, and other IDG clinicians
• Billing, revenue cycle, pharmacy, and operations leaders

TAKE-AWAY TOOLKIT

• Employee training log
• Interactive quiz
• PDF of slides and speaker’s contact info for follow-up questions
• Attendance certificate provided to self-report CE credits

NOTE: All materials are subject to copyright. Transmission, retransmission, or republishing of any webinar to other institutions or those not employed by your institution is prohibited. Print materials may be copied for eligible participants only.

Presented By

Jen Kiehl-Miller

Hospice Support Specialists