HI 00401.277 Hospice Defined

A hospice is a public agency, private organization, or a subdivision of either that is primarily engaged in providing care to terminally ill individuals and meets the conditions of participation for hospices specified in 42 CFR 418.50 to 418.98 and has a valid provider agreement, i.e., it must be participating in Medicare. If it is a free-standing hospice that provides inpatient care directly, the hospice must also meet the conditions of participation in 42 CFR 418.100.