Frequently Asked Questions

What is palliative care?

Palliative care specializes in the relief of pain, symptoms, and stress of serious illness, with a primary goal to improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Palliative care is not the same as hospice care and can be delivered at the same time as a curative treatment.

Palliative care helps patients and families better understand their choices for care. Patient comfort is the main goal of palliative care.

Who is eligible?

Palliative care is valuable at any time during a chronic or life-threatening illness. Persons with advanced cancers, cardiac disease, respiratory disease, kidney failure, Alzheimer's, AIDS, ALS, and multiple sclerosis have all benefited from palliative care services. All services are available without discrimination regarding race, color, creed, sex, age, religion, national origin or ancestry, disability or handicap.

How is palliative care delivered?

Appropriate at any time in the patient's illness, palliative care improves the patient's ability to tolerate medical treatments. It can be provided at the same time as curative treatment, or when the patient no longer wants to pursue curative treatment. Properly administered, palliative care can relieve symptoms such as:

· Pain

· Agitation

· Shortness of breath

· Fatigue

· Nausea

· Constipation

· Loss of appetite

· Difficulty sleeping

The goal of the consultation service is to manage distressing symptoms and to help patients and families understand their treatment options so informed decisions may be made.

Who pays for palliative care?

Medicare or insurance plans usually cover palliative care for inpatient and outpatient services. Palliative care consultation can be billed by In-House Hospice & Palliative Care to Medicare Part B at 80 percent. A 20 percent co-pay is billed to the patient's secondary insurance. If the patient does not have supplemental insurance, up to approximately $30 is billed to the patient.

Will the care of my patient be handled by In-House?

No. The patient's physician will remain the primary care provider. Our board-certified hospice and palliative care physician or nurse practitioner will work with you on a consultant-basis to customize a treatment plan for the patient.

When and how should a patient be referred for palliative care?

A palliative care consultation may be initiated by the patient's physician, family, or other care provider to aid in managing difficult-to-control symptoms, such as pain or shortness of breath, or to assist patients and their families who are beginning to think about advanced care options. Our physicians will respond promptly and review the patient's medical history and current plan of care. We will assess the written report to follow patient and family needs and discuss our findings with the physician.

A patient can be referred for palliative care just like any other physician specialist consultation. Contact should be made with the insurance provider. If the patient qualifies for hospice care (is expected to live six months or less) then In-House will bill as a hospice consult to Medicare Part A, whether or not the patient family chooses hospice care.

If the patient does not qualify for hospice (is expected to live more than six months) then In-House will bill as a palliative consult to Medicare Part B.

For more detailed information, or to speak to our medical director, please call (800) 311-5365.