53 − Charges for nutrition counseling and special meals. − Medical Support Charges. • Charges for medical social services furnished to the terminally ill participant or to the participant’s family unit. • Charges for bereavement counseling furnished to the terminally ill participant’s family unit during the bereavement period, up to three (3) individual or family sessions for all members of the terminally ill participant’s family unit. • Inpatient Respite Care is limited to eight (8) days per lifetime. For Hospice Care only, the terms of the medical coverage are modified as set forth below to enable Hospice Care charges to meet the definition of covered medical charges: • The exclusion for Custodial Care does not apply. • The definition of Medically Necessary is: − Deemed to include medical social services and bereavement counseling; and − Changed as follows: (i) test A is changed to include palliative care, as well as treatment or diagnosis; and (ii) test D is changed to allow inpatient respite care. In addition, the following special definitions apply to Hospice Care: • Bereavement Counseling is counseling performed by a licensed or certified social worker or licensed pastoral counselor to assist members of the family unit in coping with the death of the terminally ill participant. • Bereavement Period is the 12-month period that begins on the date of the death of the terminally ill participant. • Family Unit consists of each member of the terminally ill participant’s family. • Medical Social Services include counseling furnished to the terminally ill participant or to the members of the participant’s family unit to assist each family member in coping with the dying process of the terminally ill participant. The counseling may be furnished by a social worker or a pastoral counselor, but only if such person is licensed and practicing within the scope of the license. • Palliative Care is care that is provided to relieve the symptoms or effects of an illness without curing the illness. • Respite Care is care that is given to a terminally ill participant so that members of the family unit may have relief from the stress of caring for the terminally ill participant. • A Terminally Ill Patient is a participant of the Plan whose physician has certified that the participant is: (a) terminally ill, and (b) expected to live six (6) months or less. Laparoscopic Treatment of GERD The Plan provides in-network coverage for treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) using a laparoscopically implanted magnetic esophageal ring. There is no out-of-network coverage for this benefit.