Questions to ask

A first call is easier if you are not inventing the questions in the moment. This list is a starting point, not a script, and not medical advice. Print it if that helps. There is no form to send back to us, and we do not collect health information.

Print this checklist

What kind of care is this?

• Do you offer palliative care, hospice, home health, or more than one of these?
• If you offer palliative care, is it a distinct program, or another name for hospice?
• Can someone receive palliative care while still getting treatment meant to cure or control their illness?
• Who is eligible, and who makes that decision?

The team and how you reach them

• Who would come to the home or meet with us, and how often?
• Is a doctor, a nurse, a social worker, or a chaplain part of the team?
• How do we reach someone after hours or on a weekend?
• Will you work with our current doctor, or would we change doctors?

Where care happens

• Do you visit people at home? In a nursing home or assisted living? In a clinic?
• Which ZIP codes or cities do you actually serve right now?
• If the county on your license is not where we live, can you still come?
• What happens if the person needs a short stay in a facility for symptom control?

Payment and paperwork

• What insurance do you accept, including original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and private plans?
• What would we owe out of pocket?
• Is this billed as palliative care, home health, hospice, or ordinary clinic visits?
• What do you need from us to start — a referral, records, a visit?

Quality and accountability

• Are you licensed in Texas? What is your license number, and may we verify it on TULIP?
• If you are Medicare-certified, what is your Medicare number, and may we look you up on Medicare.gov?
• Is your license in renewal, expired, or listed with an enforcement action pending? If so, what does that mean for new patients?
• How do families share a concern, and who investigates if needed?

If hospice may be next, or already is

• How would we move from palliative care to hospice, if that becomes the right step?
• If we elect hospice, what treatments would stop, and what would continue?
• Can we change our mind later, and how would that work?
• Can we change hospice providers during a benefit period?