(a) In enacting this section, it is the intent of the Legislature that palliative care include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

1. (1) Specialized medical care and emotional and spiritual support for people with serious advanced illnesses.
2. (2) Relief of symptoms, pain, and stress of serious illness.
3. (3) Improvement of quality of life for both the patient and family.
4. (4) Appropriate care for any age and for any stage of serious illness, along with curative treatment.

(c) Covered services shall include, but are not limited to, those types of services that are available through the Medi-Cal hospice benefit. These services shall include the following, regardless of whether these services are covered under the Medi-Cal hospice benefit:

1. (1) Hospice services that are provided at the same time that curative treatment is available, to the extent that the services are not duplicative.
2. (2) Hospice services provided to individuals whose conditions may result in death, regardless of the estimated length of the individual’s remaining period of life.
3. (3) Any other services that the department determines to be appropriate.

(h)

1. (1) Nothing in this section shall result in the elimination or reduction of any covered benefits or services under the Medi-Cal program.
2. (2) This section shall not affect an individual’s eligibility to receive, concurrently with the services provided for in this section, any services, including home health services, for which the individual would have been eligible in the absence of this section.