Hospice Payment Options
Medicare and Hospice
100% Coverage if These Four Requirements Are Met:
- The patient is eligible for Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance)
- The patient’s doctor and a hospice medical director certify that the patient is terminally ill and has six months or less to live if the illness runs its normal course
- The patient signs a statement choosing hospice care instead of other Medicare-covered benefits to treat the terminal illness
- The patient receives care from a Medicare-approved hospice program
Services Hospice Provides Under the Hospice Medicare Benefit:
- Doctor services
- Nursing care
- Medical equipment
- Medical supplies
- Social worker services
- Spiritual care
- Dietary counseling
- Volunteers
- Grief counseling for patient and family
- Medications for symptom control or pain relief
- Medical supplies and equipment related to the terminal diagnosis
- Hospice aide and homemaker services
- Physical and occupational therapies, as appropriate for the plan of care
- Music, pet, and/or massage therapies as appropriate for the plan of care. Call to see if available in your area
- Speech-language pathology services, as appropriate for the plan of care
- Short-term inpatient and respite care
- Any other Medicare-covered services needed to manage pain and other symptoms, as recommended by the hospice team
IMPORTANT: Medicare will still pay for covered benefits for any health problems that are not related to the patient’s terminal illness.
Services Medicare Does Not Cover While Under Hospice Care:
- Treatment intended to cure the terminal illness
- Prescription drugs to cure the illness rather than for symptom control or pain relief
- Room and board. However, room and board is covered for Respite and General Inpatient (GIP) level of care
- Care in an emergency room, inpatient facility care, or ambulance transportation, unless it’s either arranged by the hospice medical team or is unrelated to the terminal illness