Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to providing comprehensive care, extending beyond hospital and clinic walls to the comfort of your home. For individuals facing serious illnesses, the Kaiser Permanente In-home Palliative Care Program offers specialized support focused on enhancing quality of life for both patients and their families. This program is designed to provide compassionate care, manage symptoms effectively, and offer emotional and spiritual support, all within the familiar surroundings of home.
Understanding Kaiser Permanente’s In-Home Palliative Care Services
Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with serious illnesses. It focuses on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. Kaiser Permanente’s in-home palliative care brings this specialized care directly to your residence, offering a range of services tailored to meet individual needs. These services are available twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, ensuring continuous support when it’s needed most.
The scope of in-home palliative care services includes:
- Expert Pain Control: Managing pain effectively is a core component, ensuring comfort and improving daily living.
- Acute and Chronic Symptom Management: Addressing a wide range of symptoms associated with serious illnesses, such as nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath, and anxiety.
- Continuous Care for Symptom Crises: Providing intensive in-home support during acute symptom flare-ups, preventing unnecessary hospital visits.
- Respite Care: Offering temporary relief for family caregivers, allowing them to rest and recharge while ensuring the patient continues to receive expert care.
Eligibility for In-Home Palliative Care
Kaiser Permanente members can access in-home palliative care if they meet specific criteria, aligning with the standards of the Medicare hospice benefit. This ensures that those who would benefit most from palliative care are able to receive it. For Kaiser Permanente Medicare members receiving hospice care, contracted hospice agencies handle billing directly through Medicare.
Arranging In-Home Palliative Care Services
Accessing Kaiser Permanente’s In-Home Palliative Care Program is straightforward. The process varies slightly depending on whether you are currently in the hospital or at home:
If you are in the hospital: Discharge planners will coordinate with you to arrange for home health or hospice services, including palliative care, before you leave the hospital.
If you are at home or in your doctor’s office:
- Puget Sound Region: Your healthcare provider can submit a referral for Home Health or Hospice services, including palliative care, through the EPIC Order Entry system. You can also contact the Home Health and Hospice Referral Intake Office directly at 206-326-4444 or toll-free at 1-800-332-5735.
- Olympia, Northwest Washington, and East of the Cascades: Request an authorization using the Referral Request tool, or contact Review Services toll-free at 1-888-289-1363 or via fax at 1-888-282-2685.
Commitment to High-Quality Palliative Care
Kaiser Permanente works with contracted providers who adhere to the highest standards of care, ensuring that all members receive consistent and quality palliative care services. These standards are outlined in the Hospice Care guideline, which emphasizes patient-centered care and symptom management best practices.
In-Home Palliative Care and Medicare Part D
For members with Medicare Part D enrolled in hospice care, Kaiser Permanente utilizes the Hospice Information for Medicare Part D form. This form streamlines the process of documenting Part D coverage for medications, clarifying whether a drug is related to the terminal prognosis and ensuring appropriate coverage. This form also helps in updating medication lists and care plans, facilitating seamless coordination between Part D plans, hospices, and pharmacies.
For any inquiries or to send the Medicare Part D form, you can contact:
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington Pharmacy Administration Help Desk
Mailstop: GSE-B2s-01
2921 Naches Ave S.W.
Renton, WA 98057
Fax: 1-866-510-1765
Kaiser Permanente’s In-Home Palliative Care Program is committed to providing compassionate, comprehensive support, ensuring comfort and dignity for patients and their families during challenging times, all within the nurturing environment of home.
