Face to Face (F2F) /Medicare Medicaid Support

F2F documentation required

When a patient is receiving Medicare and admitted to Center for Hospice Care, Medicare requires specific documentation.

The one that is required is dependent on the hospice services the patient is receiving.

Hospice Physician or Nurse Practitioner F2F

When a patient has elected the Medicare Hospice Benefit, Medicare requires a F2F encounter be performed and documented by a hospice physician or a nurse practitioner employed by hospice.

This encounter must happen prior to the patient’s third benefit period (before 180 days) and for each subsequent 60-day benefit period. Generally, doing this 15 days before the new benefit begins works well.

The encounter must happen wherever the patient lives.

If a nurse practitioner performs the F2F, the Center for Hospice Care Medical Director must provide the oral or written certification of the patient’s terminal illness.