Hospice utilization: political, cultural, and legal issues

The provision of end-of-life care is considered a substantive part of nursing, and hospice is often considered the "gold standard" of optimal end-of-life care. Unfortunately, however, only an estimated 43% of patients eligible for hospice actually receive hospice services (Harrison, Ford, & Wilson, 2005). The purpose of this article is to describe the political cultural, and legal issues associated with the underutilization of hospice care. Specifically, this article will outline the policy issues for accessing hospice under Medicare and Medicaid, the cultural and social issues in hospice utilization, and the legal implications of these issues. In addition, this article will serve to offer initial solutions to the problems at hand in order to guide nurses in promoting effective, efficient, and realized access to hospice services.