Hospice care is compassionate end-of-life care that includes medical and supportive services intended to provide comfort to individuals who are terminally ill. Care is provided by a team of appropriate professionals. Care received under hospice is often referred to as "palliative care," because hospice care aims to manage the patient's illness and pain, but does not treat the underlying terminal illness. Most hospice care is provided at home.
What Kinds of Care Does Medicare Hospice Care Include?
Generally, hospice care includes services which are reasonable and necessary for the comfort and management of a terminal illness. These services may include physician services, nursing care, pain control, symptom management, and medical supplies.
When Will Medicare Cover Hospice Care?
Importantly, hospice care is a Medicare-covered benefit. A physician must certify that the beneficiary is terminally ill. This mean that in the physician’s judgment the individual has 6 months or less to live if the illness runs its normal course. Interestingly, we have seen doctors suggest hospice care to the family, and other doctor’s flatly deny this important benefit – even when it is obvious to the family that hospice care is necessary. It is important to speak up – tell the doctor why you feel hospice is appropriate.
Beneficiaries who elect hospice coverage give up their right to regular Medicare benefits for services related to their terminal illness during the hospice election period, but hospice beneficiaries may withdraw from hospice at any time. Upon doing this, they are immediately eligible for their traditional Medicare benefits once again.
How Does Medicare Hospice Coverage Differ from Regular Medicare?
Medicare hospice coverage is limited to beneficiaries who are terminally ill.
Hospice coverage is for pain and symptom management and comfort, not for curative treatment of the underlying terminal illness.
Hospice coverage is holistic. Not only is medical care covered, but so are social work services, chaplain services, bereavement services, etc.
The Medicare hospice benefit is valuable, but it is also underutilized. We encourage family advocates to understand and access Medicare's important hospice benefit for their loved ones.
For more information, please call the Law Office of Jane M. McNamara at (661) 287-3260 or visitwww.JaneMcNamara.com.
What Kinds of Care Does Medicare Hospice Care Include?
Generally, hospice care includes services which are reasonable and necessary for the comfort and management of a terminal illness. These services may include physician services, nursing care, pain control, symptom management, and medical supplies.
When Will Medicare Cover Hospice Care?
Importantly, hospice care is a Medicare-covered benefit. A physician must certify that the beneficiary is terminally ill. This mean that in the physician’s judgment the individual has 6 months or less to live if the illness runs its normal course. Interestingly, we have seen doctors suggest hospice care to the family, and other doctor’s flatly deny this important benefit – even when it is obvious to the family that hospice care is necessary. It is important to speak up – tell the doctor why you feel hospice is appropriate.
Beneficiaries who elect hospice coverage give up their right to regular Medicare benefits for services related to their terminal illness during the hospice election period, but hospice beneficiaries may withdraw from hospice at any time. Upon doing this, they are immediately eligible for their traditional Medicare benefits once again.
How Does Medicare Hospice Coverage Differ from Regular Medicare?
Medicare hospice coverage is limited to beneficiaries who are terminally ill.
Hospice coverage is for pain and symptom management and comfort, not for curative treatment of the underlying terminal illness.
Hospice coverage is holistic. Not only is medical care covered, but so are social work services, chaplain services, bereavement services, etc.
The Medicare hospice benefit is valuable, but it is also underutilized. We encourage family advocates to understand and access Medicare's important hospice benefit for their loved ones.
For more information, please call the Law Office of Jane M. McNamara at (661) 287-3260 or visitwww.JaneMcNamara.com.