Telehealth Flexibility for the Hospice Face-To-Face Recertification Visit

Re: Telehealth Flexibility for the Hospice Face-To-Face Recertification Visit

Dear Congressional Leaders:

Thank you for your leadership and support in expanding access to quality healthcare through telehealth. These flexibilities have helped improve patient care delivery across the United States. As organizations representing the full array of hospice and community-based palliative care providers, professionals, and volunteers, we write to you today in strong support of extending the telehealth flexibility for the face-to-face (F2F) encounter required during recertification of hospice eligibility. This flexibility has yielded benefits for patients and providers, allowing hospice providers to focus on direct patient care, reducing unnecessary burdens, and improving patient and family satisfaction and it is critical that this flexibility be maintained going forward.

Hospice is holistic, interdisciplinary care, meaning beneficiaries receive visits and care from the entire interdisciplinary team consisting of a physician, nurse, hospice aide, social worker, chaplain, volunteer, and bereavement specialist. As of January 1, 2024, this may now also include a marriage and family therapist or mental health counselor. Together with the patient and family, this team constructs an individualized plan of care to meet patient and family needs, which reflect their desired outcomes and goals. Hospice services are delivered around the clock based on the patient’s individualized plan of care.