(1) “Bereavement services” means those services available to the surviving family members for a period of at least one year after the death of the enrollee. These services shall include an assessment of the needs of the bereaved family and the development of a care plan that meets these needs, both prior to, and following the death of the enrollee.

(2) “Hospice service” or “hospice program” means a specialized form of interdisciplinary health care that is designed to provide palliative care, alleviate the physical, emotional, social and spiritual discomforts of an enrollee who is experiencing the last phases of life due to the existence of a terminal disease, to provide supportive care to the primary care giver and the family of the hospice patient, and which meets all of the following criteria;

(3) “Hospice” or “Hospice Agency” means an entity which provides hospice services to terminally ill persons and holds a license, currently in effect, as a hospice pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 1747 or a home health agency with federal medicare certification pursuant to Health and Safety Code sections 1726 and 1747.1.

(4) “Home health aide services” means those services providing for the personal care of the terminally ill patient and the performance of related tasks in the patient's home in accordance with the plan of care in order to increase the level of comfort and to maintain personal hygiene and a safe, healthy environment for the patient. Home health aide services shall be provided by a person who is certified by the state Department of Health Services as a home health aide pursuant to Chapter 8 of Division 2 (Section 1725 et seq.) of the Health and Safety Code.

(5) “Homemaker services” means services that assist in the maintenance of a safe and healthy environment and services to enable the enrollee to carry out the treatment plan.

(6) “Interdisciplinary team” means the hospice care team that includes, but is not limited to, the enrollee and the patient's family, a physician and surgeon, a registered nurse, a social worker, a volunteer, and a spiritual caregiver.

(7) “Medical direction” means those services provided by a licensed physician and surgeon who is charged with the responsibility of acting as a consultant to the interdisciplinary team, a consultant to the enrollee's attending physician and surgeon, as requested, with regard to pain and symptom management, and liaison with physicians and surgeons in the community. For purposes of this section, the person providing these services shall be referred to as the “medical director.”

(8) “Plan of care” means a written plan developed by the attending physician and surgeon, the medical director or physician and surgeon designee, and the interdisciplinary team that addresses the needs of an enrollee and family admitted to the hospice program. The hospice shall retain overall responsibility for the development and maintenance of the plan of care and quality of services delivered. However, nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a health care service plan's obligations with respect to its QA program as required under Section 1300.70.

(9) “Skilled nursing services” means nursing services provided by or under the supervision of a registered nurse under a plan of care developed by the interdisciplinary team and the enrollee's physician and surgeon to an enrollee and his or her family that pertain to the palliative, supportive services required by an enrollee with a terminal illness. Skilled nursing services include, but are not limited to, enrollee assessment, evaluation and case management of the medical nursing needs of the enrollee, the performance of prescribed medical treatment for pain and symptom control, the provision of emotional support to both the enrollee and his or her family, and the instruction of caregivers in providing personal care to the enrollee. Skilled nursing services shall provide for the continuity of services for the enrollee and his or her family. Skilled nursing service shall be available on a 24-hour on-call basis.

(10) “Social service/counseling services” means those counseling and spiritual services that assist the enrollee and his or her family to minimize stresses and problems that arise from social, economic, psychological, or spiritual needs by utilizing appropriate community resources, and maximize positive aspects and opportunities for growth.

(11) “Terminal disease” or “terminal illness” means a medical condition resulting in a prognosis of life of one year or less, if the disease follows its natural course. This definition is not intended to limit the ability of health plans and hospices to develop and utilize comprehensive, evidence-based medical and psychosocial criteria or “best practice” guidelines for hospice referrals that are not dependent upon an estimated time of death, that are predictive of the need and appropriateness of palliative care and that are consistent with standards among palliative care professionals.

(12) “Volunteer services” means those service provided by trained hospice volunteers who have agreed to provide service under the direction of a hospice staff member who has been designated by the hospice to provide direction to hospice volunteers. Hospice volunteers may be used to provide support and companionship to the enrollee and his or her family during the remaining days of the enrollee's life and to the surviving family following the enrollee's death.

(1) Only an entity licensed pursuant to the California Hospice Licensure Act of 1990, (Health and Safety Code Section 1745, et seq.) or a licensed home health agency with federal medicare certification (Health and Safety Code sections 1726 and 1747.1) may provide hospice services to plan enrollees, except that an entity licensed as a hospice may arrange to provide hospice services required to be provided pursuant to this section with appropriately licensed individuals or entities.

(2) Plans are required to provide to enrollees with a “terminal illness”, through their contractual arrangements with hospices, the following services, at a minimum, when the enrollee qualifies for and chooses hospice care:

(1) Periods of Crisis:

Nursing care services must be covered on a continuous basis for as much as 24 hours a day during periods of crisis as necessary to maintain an enrollee at home. Hospitalization must be covered pursuant to 1300.68.2(b)(2)(G), when the interdisciplinary team makes the determination that inpatient skilled nursing care is required at a level that cannot be provided in the home. Either homemaker or home health aide services or both may be covered on a 24 hour continuous basis during periods of crisis but the care provided during these periods must be predominantly nursing care. A period of crisis is a period in which the enrollee requires continuous care to achieve palliation or management of acute medical symptoms.

(2) Respite Care:

Respite care is short-term inpatient care provided to the enrollee only when necessary to relieve the family members or other persons caring for the enrollee. Coverage of respite care may be limited to an occasional basis and to no more than five consecutive days at a time.