{"ref":"GA-HSP-ELC-02","title":"Certification and Recertification of Terminal Illness and Face-to-Face Encounters","category":"Hospice care","summary":"Sets out the Georgia requirements for a physician referral, a written certification of a life expectancy of six months or less, and the six-monthly face-to-face assessment or life-expectancy scale with written certification, and the Medicare requirements for certification and recertification in each benefit period: timing, the 2-day oral certification, the 15-day windows, the narrative and attestation, who signs, and face-to-face encounters before the third and each later benefit period, including the telehealth limits.","inShort":["Every benefit period needs a written certification signed and dated by the hospice physician before billing.","If the written certification is not ready within 2 calendar days after the period starts, get an oral certification and record it at once.","The physician writes the narrative for this patient, right above the signature. No check boxes or standard wording.","From the 3rd benefit period, a hospice physician or hospice nurse practitioner sees the patient within the 30 days before each recertification.","Georgia also requires a face-to-face assessment or a life-expectancy scale, with written certification, at least every six months."],"primaryCitation":"42 CFR §418.22","citations":["Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-37-.14(2)(a), (d)","Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-37-.17(2)(f)","Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-37-.03(ee)"],"federalCitations":["42 CFR §418.22","42 CFR §418.21","42 CFR §418.25(b)","42 CFR §418.102(b)-(c)","42 CFR §418.104(a)(5)","42 CFR §418.26(d)"],"surveyorAsks":["Show me the written certification for each benefit period for this patient, signed and dated, with the benefit period dates.","Where is the physician’s narrative, and is it composed for this patient and placed immediately before the signature?"],"forms":[{"ref":"GA-HSP-ELC-02-A","title":"Certification of Terminal Illness and Face-to-Face Attestation"}],"headings":["Terms of Reference","1. Purpose","2. Scope","3. Definitions","4. Policy Statement (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-37-.14(2)(d); 42 CFR §418.22)","5. Timing of Certification (Medicare)","6. Who Certifies","7. Content of the Certification","8. Georgia Six-Month Certification","9. Face-to-Face Encounters (Medicare)","10. Oral Certifications and Filing","11. When the Physician Will Not Recertify","12. Georgia Medicaid","13. Responsibilities","14. Records and Compliance Monitoring","15. Staff Training","16. References","17. Related Policies and Forms","18. Approval","19. Revision History"],"version":"1.0","sample":false,"pack":"ga-hospice","state":"Georgia","service":"Hospice","guides":[{"path":"/guides/hospice-policies/","h1":"What policies are required for hospice?"},{"path":"/guides/hospice-conditions-of-participation/","h1":"Hospice Conditions of Participation: which policies each one needs"}],"agency":{"name":"Sample Agency","legalName":"Sample Agency, LLC","logo":null}}