Hospice Care Options
Who Pays For Hospice
Who Pays For Hospice
Many private insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid cover services provided by Hospice Care Options. The Hospice Benefit for Medicare patients helps cover medication, medical equipment and supplies, co-payments and family support counseling.
Medicare hospice patients must:
- Be covered by Medicare Part A
- Agree to "palliative, not curative care"
- Be certified by his or her physician of having a "medical prognosis that his or her life expectancy is six months or less, if illness runs its normal course"
- Continue to have a prognosis of six months or less, however, some patients are eligible for additional care as long as their prognosis is still short
Patients in a Medicare Hospice program do not lose their other Medicare benefits. Usually, all costs associated with the care of the patients' illness are covered under the program. At times, patients may be required to pay an out-of-pocket room and board fee. For more information about Medicare Hospice coverage, please click here.
The benefits provided many private insurance companies is similar to that of the coverage provided by Medicare, although each plan and company differs. For information regarding your personal coverage, please contact your insurance provider.