Hospice Referral Resources for Physicians in Alabama
Too many patients near end of life are referred to hospice in their final days, missing weeks of comfort-focused care they qualify for.
We provide Alabama physicians with referral criteria, advance care planning resources, and direct access to member hospice providers across the state.
When Is It Time to Refer to Hospice?
The median hospice length of stay is 17 days. Most patients are referred in the final weeks of life, well past the point where hospice can provide its full benefit. The indicators below are designed to help you identify patients who qualify earlier.
A patient may qualify for hospice when the following are present:
Advance Care Planning for Your Patients
Goals-of-care conversations are among the most important a physician has with patients facing a potentially terminal illness. These conversations are covered by Medicare and many insurance plans and should be documented in the patient’s medical record.
We recommend introducing advance care planning early, for any patient 19 years or older. As a patient’s health changes, it is important to revisit their goals and confirm their wishes have not changed.
Three questions to guide the conversation:
- “What are your goals?” (Curative care vs. comfort and symptom management)
- “Where would you like to be cared for?” (Home, family home, nursing facility, hospital)
- “What does living as well as possible mean for you?” (Define quality of life on the patient’s terms)
How We Support Physicians
Our member hospice providers are available to assist with care determination, answer questions about eligibility, and support goals-of-care conversations for your patients and their families.
What we provide:
- Referral criteria guidance for Medicare and Alabama Medicaid hospice eligibility
- Advance care planning resources and conversation frameworks
- Direct access to member hospice providers, organized by county
- Support for physicians navigating end-of-life care options for patients and families
Frequently Asked Questions
A patient may be ready for hospice when they have a primary diagnosis with a prognosis of six months or less if the disease follows its expected course, along with functional decline and/or significant co-morbid conditions. The criteria listed on this page provide a clinical framework, and an AHPCO member hospice provider can assist with a care determination evaluation.
Yes. Palliative care works alongside curative or disease modifying treatment. It is not limited to end of life care. Patients can begin palliative care at any stage of a serious illness, including at diagnosis.
Yes. Palliative care works alongside curative or disease modifying treatment. It is not limited to end of life care. Patients can begin palliative care at any stage of a serious illness, including at diagnosis.
Yes. Palliative care works alongside curative or disease modifying treatment. It is not limited to end of life care. Patients can begin palliative care at any stage of a serious illness, including at diagnosis.
Yes. Palliative care works alongside curative or disease modifying treatment. It is not limited to end of life care. Patients can begin palliative care at any stage of a serious illness, including at diagnosis.
