A hospice is a public agency, private organization, or a subdivision of either that
is primarily engaged in providing care to terminally ill individuals and meets the
conditions of participation for hospices specified in 42 CFR 418.50 to 418.98 and
has a valid provider agreement, i.e., it must be participating in Medicare. If it
is a free-standing hospice that provides inpatient care directly, the hospice must
also meet the conditions of participation in 42 CFR 418.100.