Hospice care eligibility is based on which criterion?

Hospice care eligibility is based on which criterion?

• A. Age over 65
• B. Cancer stage
• C. Life expectancy (6 months or less)
• D. Functional status

Answer: (C)

Hospice eligibility is guided by prognosis, not by age, disease type, or current functional status. Specifically, a patient is considered eligible when the physician certifies a life expectancy of six months or less if the disease follows its usual course. This six‑month prognosis threshold is what triggers access to hospice benefits and the shift of goals from curative treatment to comfort-focused care. While advanced age, cancer stage, or declining function may accompany terminal illness, they do not alone determine eligibility.

Hospice eligibility is guided by prognosis, not by age, disease type, or current functional status. Specifically, a patient is considered eligible when the physician certifies a life expectancy of six months or less if the disease follows its usual course. This six‑month prognosis threshold is what triggers access to hospice benefits and the shift of goals from curative treatment to comfort-focused care. While advanced age, cancer stage, or declining function may accompany terminal illness, they do not alone determine eligibility.