(1) Except as provided in subsections (3) and (4) of this section, no person shall establish, conduct or maintain a hospice program providing hospice services, or hold itself out to the public as a hospice program, without:
(a) Certification by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as a program of hospice services meeting standards for Medicare reimbursement; and
(b)(A) Accreditation by the Oregon Hospice Association; or
(B) Accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations as a program of hospice services.
(2) The Oregon Hospice Association may accredit hospices which are not members of the Oregon Hospice Association.
(3) Any person who is in the process of developing a hospice program may use the term “hospice” to describe and refer to the program of services during its development for up to two years. However, no hospice services to patients or their families shall be provided by a hospice until accreditation or certification is obtained.
(4) Any person may operate a hospice program for a period of not more than 90 consecutive days if the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or the Oregon Hospice Association acknowledges in writing that accreditation or certification is pending and the Oregon Hospice Association authorizes that operations may commence.
(5) A certified or accredited hospice need not obtain a license pursuant to ORS 443.015 unless it meets the definition of a home health agency and receives direct compensation for home health care services from the patient, insurers, Medicare or Medicaid. Compensation paid to licensed professionals is not direct compensation.
(6) Except as provided in subsection (5) of this section, accreditation and certification under subsection (1) of this section may be considered equivalent to licensure as a hospice program by the State of Oregon. [1987 c.398 §§2,3; 1989 c.697 §1; 1993 c.110 §3; 1997 c.362 §1; 2003 c.14 §264; 2007 c.474 §2]
Section: Previous 443.795 443.805 443.815 443.825 443.830 443.835 443.850 443.860 443.865 443.870 443.880 443.881 443.885 443.886 443.888 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008