Do you prefer that patients scream in pain? We are talking about people who have a few months to live.
"Medicare generally pays drugs for diabetes, heart disease or other chronic conditions still used by hospice patients but not directly related to their terminal illness"
I read the article again and I see even more clearly that this is a sensible correction.
I have been a nurse for almost 30 years and have cared for many hospice patients; I have worked closely with the hospice organizations that care for them while they are in our facility and am familiar with the regulations for coverage of meds. All meds directly related to their hospice diagnosis, including pain meds, have always been covered under their hospice benefit and will continue to be covered. Those meds that are not part of their hospice diagnosis were never intended to be covered by the hospice benefit.
They will need further authorization if they want their non-hospice medicare coverage to pay for these drugs that are already covered under the hospice benefit.