From referral call to plan of care —every role, every step.
The referral-to-admission process involves every discipline on the hospice team. Each role has specific tasks to complete, in a specific sequence, within specific timeframes. This training resource walks every team member through the complete process so that everyone understands not just their own tasks — but how their work connects to everyone else's.
Critical Process Deadlines — Tap Any to Expand
How to use this resource
Three steps to process mastery
Self-paced. No account required. Your progress saves automatically so you can return anytime.
Work through the modules in order
Start with the Program Overview to see how all the pieces connect, then follow the sequence. Each module builds directly on the one before it — the process is linear by design.
Test your understanding
Each module ends with a knowledge check. You need 80% to pass. Your scores save automatically in your browser — come back any time and pick up where you left off.
Apply it at the point of care
Role-specific checklists translate each phase of the process into a printable field tool — for intake, admission day, election paperwork, certifications, and IDG assessments.
- How to determine and document Medicare hospice eligibility
- Benefit period structure and what recertification requires
- The election statement — what it must contain and when it is due
- NOE filing — the 5-day window and what a late filing costs
- The 48-hour RN assessment and 5-day IDG assessment process
- Plan-of-care development before the first service is delivered
- The full referral-to-IDG workflow mapped by role
- Where documentation gaps most often lead to denials or citations
Six training modules
The complete referral-to-admission process
Work through them in order for the full picture, or jump to any module your role is most involved in.
Program Overview
The complete picture of what happens between a referral call and a signed plan of care — and which team member owns each step.
- Full referral-to-admission sequence
- Role ownership at each phase
- Where breakdowns most often occur
- How the six modules connect
Eligibility & Certification
What it means for a patient to be eligible for the Medicare hospice benefit and how the certifying physician documents that determination.
- 6-month prognosis determination
- Benefit period 90/90/60 structure
- Who certifies each period
- Face-to-face visit requirements
Election & NOE
The documents that make the election official and notify Medicare — what they must contain, when they must be completed, and the cost of getting the timing wrong.
- Election statement required elements
- Effective date rules
- 5-day NOE filing window
- Provider-liable day consequences
Assessment & Care Planning
Everything that must happen in the first week after a patient elects hospice — the 48-hour nursing visit, the 5-day IDG assessment, and the initial plan of care.
- 48-hour RN initial assessment
- 5-day IDG comprehensive assessment
- All seven required domains
- Plan of care before first service
Survey & Documentation Risks
The admission documentation errors that show up most frequently in surveys and payment reviews — where they come from and how to prevent them.
- Most-cited admission documentation gaps
- What surveyors specifically examine
- How payment denials connect to process failures
- Prevention at the point of admission
Referral-to-Admission Workflow
A phase-by-phase map of the entire process with every role assigned to specific tasks — from the intake call through IDG and plan of care.
- Intake triage and clinical screening
- Admission recommendation decision
- Election execution and NOE filing
- IDG assessment and plan of care
Point-of-care tools
Field checklists by role
Printable checklists for each critical step in the admission process — organized by role so each team member knows exactly what they are responsible for.
Referral Intake
Admission Day
Election Statement & NOE
Certification of Terminal Illness
IDG Comprehensive Assessment
Educational use only. This resource translates the Medicare hospice admission process into plain-language training for team members at all levels. It is not legal or compliance advice. State-specific requirements, payer contracts, and scope-of-practice rules may add obligations beyond the federal Medicare baseline. Always verify current requirements against primary sources before making operational decisions.