### Question
How does SOCIAL SECURITY define hospice care?


### Answer
Under *42 U.S.C. § 1395x*, **hospice care** is defined as:

> the following items and services provided to a terminally ill individual by, or by others under arrangements made by, a hospice program under a written plan (for providing such care to such individual) established and periodically reviewed by the individual's attending physician and by the medical director (and by the interdisciplinary group described in paragraph (2)(B)) of the program—


(A) nursing care provided by or under the supervision of a registered professional nurse,


(B) physical or occupational therapy, or speech-language pathology services,


(C) medical social services under the direction of a physician,


(D)(i) services of a home health aide who has successfully completed a training program approved by the Secretary and (ii) homemaker services,


(E) medical supplies (including drugs and biologicals) and the use of medical appliances, while under such a plan,


(F) physicians' services,


(G) short-term inpatient care (including both respite care and procedures necessary for pain control and acute and chronic symptom management) in an inpatient facility meeting such conditions as the Secretary determines to be appropriate to provide such care, but such respite care may be provided only on an intermittent, nonroutine, and occasional basis and may not be provided consecutively over longer than five days,


(H) counseling (including dietary counseling) with respect to care of the terminally ill individual and adjustment to his death, and


(I) any other item or service which is specified in the plan and for which payment may otherwise be made under this subchapter

#### Citation:
  - *42 U.S.C. § 1395x*
  - Heading: **CHAPTER 7-SOCIAL SECURITY > SUBCHAPTER XVIII-HEALTH INSURANCE FOR AGED AND DISABLED > Part E-Miscellaneous Provisions**

