| Summary: |
This issue brief examines approaches to delivering and financing health services for persons with advanced chronic illness. It focuses on the nature and structure of the Medicare hospice benefit and its use as a model for Medicaid and other federal programs. The paper also looks at palliative-care approaches along the continuum of inpatient and post-acute services and raises cost, quality, and access issues for end-of-life care. In addition, it provides an overview of coverage through private insurance, including indemnity, point-of-service, and preferred-provider-organization products. |
Related
Materials: |
See also the entry for the related Forum Session. Other related Forum products include Forum sessions on Medicare's hospice benefit (August 1, 2008), patient transitions (October 7, 2004), dual eligibles (October 22, 2003), Medicare and chronic conditions (March 26, 2003), and the medical home model (June 27, 2008 and October 28, 2008). The report of a site visit to New York and a paper on the health system and the aging population (Issue Brief No. 729, January 25, 1999) are also available. |
