Hospice (Inpatient/Outpatient)

Hospice services provided to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE) members must be preauthorized.

Billing Guidelines (when BCBSNE is primary)     

Inpatient Respite/Non-Respite Services        

Bill Type: 081X or 082X.   

Revenue code 0655 or 0656 is an all-inclusive entry for ancillary, room and board charges for inpatient respite care with the appropriate Q code. Charges for drugs, infusion supplies or HME items should be included in the line items and should not be billed separately by an HME provider.

Use revenue code 0656 as an all-inclusive entry for ancillary, room and board charges for inpatient non-respite care with the appropriate Q code listed below.   

You may bill each day as a separate line item with a unit of one, or bill one line item of revenue code 0655/0656 with the total number of units equivalent to the total number of covered days. Room and board should not be line itemized under revenue code 0115.       

Home (Outpatient) Hospice Billing Guidelines   

Bill Type: 081X or 082X.   

Revenue code 0651 or 0652 is to be used for hospice skilled nursing visits by an RN or LPN, home health aide services and hospice social worker services. Revenue codes 0651 and 0652 do not include drugs, infusion supplies or any HME items. These items will continue to be billed by the HME company providing the service.

Revenue codes 0651 and 0652 must be billed with the appropriate Q code in the chart below. 

For each day a hospice nurse, aide or social worker sees the patient in an outpatient/home setting, the provider should bill the 0651 or 0652 revenue code (with the appropriate Q code). If more than one discipline has seen the patient that day, all charges must be combined under revenue code 0651 or 0652 and billed on a single line. 

Use discharge status code of 40 if patient expires at home. Use “3” in FL 19 for “elective” in Type of Admission/Visit.