Misconception	Clarification
Patients will be discharged from hospice if they do not die within six months	There used to be a six-month regulation that penalized hospices and patients when a patient lived too long, but it was revised and there is no longer any penalty for an incorrect prognosis if the disease runs its normal course
Patients in hospice must have a DNR order	Medicare does not require a DNR order to enroll in hospice, but it does require that patients pursue palliative, not curative, treatment; individual hospice organizations may require a DNR order before enrolling a patient
Patients in hospice must have a primary caregiver	Medicare does not require a primary caregiver, but this may be a requirement of some hospice organizations
The primary physician must transfer control of his or her patients to hospice	Most hospice organizations encourage primary physician involvement; the primary physician becomes a part of the team and contributes to the hospice plan of care
Only patients with cancer are appropriate candidates for hospice	Anyone with a life expectancy of less than six months and who chooses a palliative care approach is appropriate for hospice*
Only Medicare-eligible patients may enroll in hospice	Most commercial insurance companies have benefits that mimic the Medicare Hospice Benefit; individual hospices vary in their willingness to take uninsured patients
Patients in nursing homes are not eligible for hospice	This was once true, but Medicare now covers patients in nursing homes
Patients are not eligible for hospice again if they revoke the hospice benefits	Patients who want to return to hospice care can be readmitted as long as hospice conditions of participation are met
Only physicians can refer patients to hospice	Anyone (e.g., nurse, social worker, family member, friend) can refer a patient to hospice
Hospice care precludes patients from being able to receive chemotherapy, blood transfusions, or radiation	Medicare requires that hospice must cover all care related to the terminal illness; individual hospice agencies are allowed to determine whether a specific treatment is palliative (providing symptom relief), which will guide what treatments they are willing to cover
Patients who have elected the hospice benefit can no longer access other health insurance benefits	Each insurer has rules defining eligibility for covered services; medical problems unrelated to the terminal illness continue to be covered under regular Medicare insurance
Patients in hospice cannot be admitted to the hospital	While the patient is enrolled in hospice, most insurance companies, including Medicare, will still cover hospital admissions for unrelated illnesses, as well as for the management of symptoms related to the terminal diagnosis, and respite care
Hospice care ends when a patientdies	All hospice programs must provide families with bereavement support for up to one year following the death of the patient