A New Diagnosis-Related Group for Palliative Care

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Abstract
The National Hospice Organization welcomes the announcement of a new diagnostic code for palliative care and the possible development of a special diagnosis-related group (DRG) that would allow payment for end-of-life care in the hospital. Drs. Cassel and Vladeck correctly point out in their Sounding Board article (Oct. 17 issue)1 that the majority of people still die in hospitals (61 percent) or nursing homes (17 percent), despite the tremendous growth in hospice care (a 147 percent increase in the number of patients and their families served in hospices over the past decade, with 390,000 patients and families served in 1995). The establishment of codes for palliative care could be an important step toward providing more appropriate care for terminally ill patients in hospitals.

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