Abstract
Nurse practitioners play an integral part of the face-to-face visit. The face-to-face visit requirement came into effect on January 11, 2011, for hospice patients entering their third or later benefit period. The face-to-face requirement was created because of concerns regarding high numbers of hospice patients with lengths of stay greater than 180 days, in addition to concerns the physician was not as active in the care of the hospice patient as required. Face-to-face visits can be completed by the hospice physician or nurse practitioner employed by the hospice agency. The face-to-face narrative includes a clear title, date, clinical findings demonstrating continued hospice eligibility and a signature of the individual completing the face-to-face visit. In addition, an attestation statement stating that the encounter was completed with the patient and the clinical findings were provided to the certifying physician is also a requirement of the narrative. Documenting clinical findings that demonstrate hospice eligibility can be challenging. Using the FACE-2-FACE method can help clarify the clinical findings necessary to demonstrate the patient's continued hospice eligibility.