---
title: O.C.G.A. § 31-7-176. Responsibilities of provider of hospice care.
collection: code
id: 31-7-176
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 31-7-176 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7-176
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7-176.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7-176/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t31-(v23)-2025-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=da7ded69_0#page=440
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7-175.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7-176.1.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Session of the General Assembly of Georgia
heading_path: HEALTH / REGULATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF HOSPITALS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE FACILITIES / HOSPICE CARE
---

# O.C.G.A. § 31-7-176. Responsibilities of provider of hospice care.

(a) The hospice care program shall coordinate its services with those of the patient’s primary or attending physicians, and may contract out for elements of services rendered to the patient and family unit, but not for the basic hospice care services, provided by physicians, attending nurses, and counselors. The hospice care team shall be responsible for coordination of inpatient, outpatient, and home care aspects of care.

(b) Hospice services must meet all applicable definitions provided for in Code Section 31-7-172.

(c) A hospice program of care shall not impose the dictates of any value or belief system on its patients and their family units.

(d)(1) Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this article to the contrary, a hospice may, in addition to providing care to terminally ill individuals, also provide palliative care for patients with advanced and progressive diseases and for their families. Such care may be provided by a hospice acting alone or under contract with a health care facility.

(2) Nothing in this subsection shall prevent the provision of palliative care for patients with advanced and progressive diseases and for their families by any other health care provider otherwise authorized to provide such care.

## History

Code 1981, § 31-7-176, enacted by Ga. L. 1983, p. 1317, § 2; Ga. L. 2006, p. 1055, § 2/HB 1008.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 2006, p. 1055, § 2A/HB 1008, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “This Act shall become effective only if funds are specifically appropriated for purposes of this Act in an appropriations Act making specific reference to this Act and shall become effective when funds so appropriated become available for expenditure.” Funds were appropriated in the 2006 session of the General Assembly and became available for expenditure on July 1, 2006.