(a)    (1)    The Secretary shall adopt regulations to carry out the provisions of this subtitle.

(2)    The regulations for general hospice care programs shall set standards for general hospice care programs that are comparable to the standards established by the National Hospice Organization.

(3)    The Secretary, by regulation, after consultation with interested groups, including The Hospice Network of Maryland, Inc., shall establish standards for the operation of a hospice care program.

(b)    (1)    The regulations shall set qualifications for medical directors of hospices. A medical director of a hospice care program need not be an employee or a contractee of a hospice care program.

(2)    The regulations for a hospice facility shall require:

(i)    The medical director to be a physician licensed to practice medicine in this State;

(ii)    The dietary, nursing, pastoral care, pharmaceutical, and social worker services to be adequate; and

(iii)    A physician other than an attending physician to be on call and available at all times.

(3)    The regulations for a home-based hospice care program shall require:

(i)    The medical director to be a physician licensed to practice medicine in this State;

(ii)    The provision of bereavement services;

(iii)    The provision of services to meet the spiritual or social needs of dying individuals and their families;

(iv)    The provision of palliative and supportive medical, nursing, and other health services:

1.    Directly or by contract for a general licensee; or

2.    By referral only for a limited licensee;

(v)    Submission of an annual report which includes service utilization statistics in the format prescribed;

(vi)    Written transfer agreements to provide acute inpatient care as needed; and

(vii)    Minimum standards concerning the training and role of volunteers in a hospice care program.