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Medicare and Medicaid hospice benefit criteria allow clients with a life expectancy of 6 months or less to be admitted to hospice. However, the median length of stay in a hospice program is just 21.3 days. Which reason explains the underuse of hospice care services?

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Answer:

The correct answer to the question: Which reason explains the underuse of hospice care services, would be: patients and families view palliative care as giving up.

Step-by-step explanation:

Unfortunately, even though the healthcare system in the U.S, through its Medicaid and Medicare Programs, offers the coverage of hospice care for patients who have 6 months or less to live, people with family members in this situation do not tend to use that service for more than 21.3 days on average. The reason for this is that most people view palliative care as a form of giving up on the possibility of extending the life of their loved one, as a way of stopping the fight for life, and therefore tend to see palliative care as negative. Therefore, they prefer not to face the fact that such care might be needed and by retiring their loved ones from the programs, believe that that personĀ“s life expectancy might be extended. Its almost like not wanting to face a reality.

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