Journal of palliative medicine
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Although many patients enter hospice close to death, some enroll for more than six months. In 2011 the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) required that these long-stay patients receive a face-to-face visit by a physician or nurse practitioner to ensure that they continue to meet eligibility criteria. ⋯ The face-to-face requirement may decrease hospice discharges, contrary to its intention.