Does Medicare Pay For Hospice At Home

What Is Inpatient Hospice Care

In hospice care, sometimes you or your loved one may experience symptoms that are severe and unrelieved. A hospice team will do their best to manage these symptoms in your home environment. These symptoms include pain, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting, and severe anxiety. The hospice team will work with you, your family, and your physician to make any necessary changes to you or your loved ones medications or other treatments to relieve these symptoms.

However, sometimes these symptoms do not respond to the regular medications available in the home environment. When these symptoms do not improve over 24 to 48 hours, then the hospice nurse may decide to transfer you or your loved one to an inpatient center so symptoms can be managed more quickly.

Hospice Levels Of Care

Generally, Medicare pays hospice agencies a daily rate for each day a beneficiary is enrolled in the hospice benefit. This daily payment is made regardless of the amount of services provided on a given day, and even on days where no services are provided. The daily payment rates are intended to cover costs that hospices incur in furnishing services identified in patients care plans. Payments are made according to a fee schedule that has four base payment amounts for the four different categories of care.

Which Parts Of Medicare Cover Hospice Care

There are many different parts Medicare. Each part provides coverage for different items and services. Here is a breakdown of the role each part of Medicare may play in covering your hospice care:

• Medicare Part A.Part A pays for hospital costs, should you need to be admitted to care facility for your symptoms or to give your caregivers a short break.
• Medicare Part B.Part B covers outpatient medical and nursing services, medical equipment, and other treatment services.
• Medicare Part C. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, it will remain in effect as long as youre paying premiums, but you wont need them for your hospice expenses. Original Medicare pays for those. Your Medicare Part C plans can still be used to pay for treatments that are not related to the terminal illness or arent covered by original Medicare.
• Medicare supplement .Medigap plans can help with costs unrelated to the terminal illness. You wont need these benefits to help cover hospice expenses, since those are paid for by original Medicare.
• Medicare Part D. Your Part D prescription drug coverage will still be in effect to help you pay for medications that are unrelated to the terminal illness. Otherwise, medications to help treat symptoms or manage the pain of a terminal illness are covered through your original Medicare hospice benefit.

Original Medicare pays for a wide range of services, supplies, and prescriptions related to the illness that caused you to seek hospice care, including

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How To Pay For In

There may be times when not every part of your in-home care is covered. We already know 20 percent of the durable medical equipment needed to treat you is your responsibility, but there are other services like custodial care or extra round-the-clock care that wont be covered by Medicare. This is where supplemental insurance comes in.

You may have already heard of Medigap insurance, which you purchase to help pay for all the medical costs that Medicare doesnt, like copayments, deductibles, and premiums. Its also a useful source to have when it comes to in-home care. Supplemental insurance could help cover the costs that you may accrue, like personal care, meals delivered to your home, and the remaining costs of your DME.

If you have any questions regarding your in-home care and what is covered by Medicare, contact your local Social Security office.

What If Youre In A Medicare Advantage Plan

Once your hospice benefit begins, everything you need will be covered by Original Medicare, even if you decide to stay in your Medicare Advantage plan or another Medicare health plan.

If you remain a member of a Medicare Advantage plan, you can use the plans network for services that arent related to your terminal illness, or you can use other Medicare providers. Your costs will depend on the plan and how you follow the plans rules.

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Seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans are covered for hospice care through Original Medicare, as long as the hospice provider is Medicare-approved. The costs of hospice are covered by Original Medicare, and seniors can decide to opt out of their Medicare Advantage plan once the hospice benefit begins.

Who Pays For Hospice Care At Home

The Medicare Hospice Benefit covers end-of-life services related to a patients terminal diagnosis in whatever setting the patient calls home, whether thats a traditional residence, an assisted living facility, or nursing home. Wherever hospice occurs, all services related to the terminal diagnosis are covered up to 100% by Medicare Part A.

If the patients symptoms cannot be managed by the routine level of hospice care, additional levels of service, such as 24/7 continuous care or inpatient hospice care, will also be financed through Medicare Part A at no additional expense to the patient or family.

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What Are The Eligibility Requirements For Medicaid Hospice Coverage

Eligibility requirements can vary by state, but some of the typical requirements you might be subject to in your state can include:

• Establishing a hospice plan of care
• Confirmation from a doctor that the person is terminally ill
• Completion of an election statement to set the hospice benefits into motion
• Selection of a hospice provider
• Waiver of all Medicaid benefits aimed at curing the terminal condition

Hospice Benefits Not Covered Under Medicare

• Life-saving medical treatments to cure the terminal illness.
• Room and board, including long-term residence in the patients home, a nursing home, or a hospice facility.
• Any prescription medication to cure or rehabilitate the terminal illness.
• Hospice care outside of the designated hospice provider. The patients appointed hospice care team must organize all treatments.
• Outpatient or inpatient hospital care and ambulance transportation. Exceptions to this rule are if the patients hospice care team has scheduled care or the care is unrelated to the terminal illness.

Did You Know: Keeping in close contact with your loved ones hospice care team helps avoid unexpected out-of-pocket costs. When in doubt, speak with a team member to confirm what services are covered.

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Health Care Costs Unrelated To The Terminal Illness

Original Medicare also pays for care for health conditions unrelated to the terminal illness, such as a broken arm. Deductibles and coinsurance amounts still apply. Those who remain enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan after the hospice benefit starts can choose to receive coverage for unrelated health conditions from Original Medicare or their Medicare Advantage plan.

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Does Medicare Cover Hospice

The term hospice refers to treatment, services, and care for people who have an illness and are not expected to live longer than 6 months.

Making decisions about hospice care, whether for yourself or someone you love, is not easy. Getting direct answers about what hospice costs and how you can pay for it may make a difficult decision a little clearer.

Original Medicare does pay for hospice care, as long as your hospice provider is enrolled in the program and accepts Medicare coverage. A Medicare Advantage plan will also cover hospice care.

If youre looking for specific answers about which hospice facilities, providers, and services are covered under Medicare, this article will help you answer those questions.

Medicare covers hospice once a medical doctor certifies that you have an illness that makes it unlikely you will live longer than 6 months.

To get this coverage, you must sign a statement that confirms:

• you want palliative care
• you dont intend to continue seeking treatments to cure the illness
• you choose hospice care instead of other Medicare-approved services to treat your illness

If you are receiving hospice care, that means your doctor has certified that your life expectancy is 6 months or less. However, some people defy expectations.

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What Hospice Services Does Medicare Cover

Hospice providers offer comprehensive services that benefit both the patient and their family members. Its important to understand that the following services may be part of a patients plan of care and are covered at least in part by Medicare.

• Doctor services
• Any other Medicare-covered services recommended by the hospice team

Medicare’s Hospice Benefit: Little Known Little Used

Coping with a terminal illness can be a difficult enough experience without having to worry about pain management, medication costs, and assistance with caregiving. Surprisingly, many Medicare beneficiaries are unaware that Medicare’s all-inclusive Hospice Benefit is available to assist dying patients and their families with these issues at the end of life.

The hospice benefit is “grossly underutilized,” says Mary T. Berthelot, a staff attorney with the Center for Medicare Advocacy. In 2000, only 23 percent of Medicare beneficiaries who died were enrolled in a hospice program.

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Hospice care offers a team-oriented approach to medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support tailored to the dying patient’s needs and wishes. For patients who qualify, Medicare will pay for this kind of comprehensive end-of-life care delivered at home or in a hospice facility. The Medicare benefit includes many services not generally covered by Medicare and more than 90 percent of the more than 2,500 hospices in the United States are certified by Medicare.

What the Hospice Benefit Covers

Medicare will cover any care that is reasonable and necessary for easing the course of a terminal illness. Services are usually provided in the home. The Medicare Hospice Benefit provides for:

Who Is Eligible?

To download Medicare’s booklet on the hospice benefit in PDF format, click on:

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What Inpatient Hospice Care Services Does Medicare Cover

The Medicare Hospice Benefit is comprehensive coverage that covers you or your loved ones stay in an inpatient hospice facility, including medications, supplies, and equipment, plus visits from a team of experts including a physician, nurse, social worker, spiritual support counselor, certified home health aide, and a volunteer.

Does Medicaid Cover Hospice

• At least 210 days2 of hospice care.
• A hospice care team including doctors, nurses, and nurse practitioners.
• Home health aides and homemaker services.
• Rental or purchase of medical appliances and supplies.
• Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology services.
• Prescriptions for pain relief and management.
• Grievance and counseling services for the hospice patient and their family members.
• Short-term inpatient or respite care services.

Did You Know: Patients can still see their regular physician if the physician is elected to aid in supervising the patients hospice care.

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When Does Medicare Cover Hospice Care: Quick Screen For Hospice Coverage

Medicare claims for hospice care are suitable for coverage, and appeal if they are denied, if they meet the following criteria:

• A hospice physician must certify that the beneficiary is terminally ill. This means that in the physicians judgment the individual has 6 months or less to live if the illness runs its normal course.
• The beneficiary or his/her representative must elect the Medicare hospice benefit by signing and filing a hospice benefit election form with the hospice of choice.
• The beneficiarys attending physician and the hospice physician must certify the beneficiary for the initial period. For subsequent periods the hospice physician recertifies the beneficiary.
• After having been certified by a hospice physician, the beneficiary may elect the hospice benefit for two 90 day periods and an unlimited number of subsequent 60 day periods.
• Before the start of each 60-day period, the beneficiary must have a face-to-face encounter with a hospice physician or nurse practitioner to determine continued eligibility.
• All hospice care and services furnished to patients and their families must follow an individualized written plan of care established by the hospice interdisciplinary group in collaboration with the attending physician , the patient or representative, and the primary caregiver, in accordance with the patients needs if any of them so desire.
• The care must be provided by, or under arrangements with, a Medicare certified hospice.

Does Medicare Cover Palliative Care For Dementia

If a person with dementia meets the above guidelines for hospice care coverage under Medicare, then their palliative care may be covered as well.

Their hospice doctor and their physician must certify that their dementia is terminal with a life expectancy of six months or less if the disease were to run its normal course.

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How Else Can I Pay For Hospice

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Medicare Advantage Enrollment Window

You can sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan when you first become eligible for Medicare. This Initial Enrollment Period happens when you turn 65. It starts three months before and ends three months after your birth month.

If you have a qualifying disability, you may be able to sign up for Medicare regardless of your age. You are eligible after being on Social Security Disability Insurance for 24 months. Benefits start sooner for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or end-stage renal disease.

You also have the opportunity to change Medicare plans each year. The Medicare Open Enrollment Period, also called the Annual Enrollment Period, takes place from October 15 to December 7. During this period you can change from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or vice versa. You can also change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another Medicare Advantage plan.

If you find that the Medicare Advantage plan you chose is not the right one for you, you may be able to change it before the next Open Enrollment Period by utilizing the Medicare Advantage Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31. This enrollment period is not available to people on Original Medicare.

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How Do You Pay For Hospice Care

For those not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid, payment for hospice can come from private insurance or an HMO, since these also include a hospice benefit.

Hospices employ financial specialists to help families who do not qualify for federal assistance and do not have insurance find available resources. The payment options for these families include self-pay and charitable organizations.

Facing a terminal illness brings with it many concerns. Paying for end-of-life care shouldnt be one of them.

What Is The Difference Between Hospice Care And Palliative Care

Hospice care and palliative care are often confused and used interchangeably. However, they are different:

• Hospice care provides end-of-life support for terminally ill patients who have decided to stop curative treatment for their disease or condition.Medicare beneficiaries are usually eligible for hospice services if a doctor certifies they have six months or less to live. Palliative care which is designed to alleviate pain and make patients more comfortable is just one component of hospice care. It can also include a wide variety of other end-of-life services delivered by a hospice care team, including medical equipment and supplies, social work services, grief and loss counseling for families, spiritual support and other services.
• Palliative care isnt exclusively a hospice care service. Palliative care may be used in conjunction with curative treatment for a number of chronic conditions. A cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy may need palliative care to help him or her deal with the side effects of the chemotherapy treatment. However, they are still actively pursuing curative treatment, unlike a hospice patient.

Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans may cover palliative care if a doctor says it is medically necessary, even if it is not part of hospice care.

Patients suffering from chronic diseases may be candidates for palliative care. These chronic diseases can include :

• Cancer
• Alzheimers disease
• HIV/AIDS

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Do You Have To Pay For Hospice Care

Individuals with Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance find hospice care is available at little to no cost to the patient or their family. If a patient is not covered by one of these options, Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care will work with the patient and their family in paying for hospice care, and ensuring the patient receives the end-of-life care they need.

Medicare Costs For Hospice Care

Thankfully for patients and their families, there is little to no cost for Medicare hospice.

The only services you may need to pay for include:

It is also important to note that your monthly Medicare Part B premium doesnt go away once you start hospice care. You will need to continue paying this each month.

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you will also need to continue paying those premiums, unless you decide to drop the policy and stick exclusively with Original Medicare .

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