Looking at Hospice Relatedness Determinations through the Legal Lens: Substantiating Your Decisions to Stand Up to Government Scrutiny

The regulatory arena for hospice is constantly evolving making it difficult for hospices to stay ahead of the curve.  While determinations as to whether a condition or symptom is "related to" the terminal illness is not a new challenge, hospices are beginning to see the implications of such decisions through pharmacy audits and increased government scrutiny.  The presenters will share their breadth of knowledge of past and present relatedness determinations, recent government investigations on the issue, and discuss key considerations to help hospices substantiate and support such determinations.  Attendees will also learn about the legal framework for relatedness determinations, including the standard and burden of proof that hospices would want to meet in order to defend challenges to determinations.