Women Today

Our friends at Unity Hospice share this information on the Medicare Hospice Benefit:

More than 90 percent of hospices in the United States are certified by Medicare. The Medicare Hospice Benefit, initiated in 1983, is covered under Medicare Part A (hospital insurance).

Medicare pays the Medicare-approved hospice provider for the comfort care provided to terminally-ill patients in the last six months of life. Medicare pays hospice programs a per diem rate that is intended to cover virtually all expenses related to addressing a patient’s terminal illness. While four levels of care have been created to differentiate the varying intensities of care during the course of a disease, 96% of hospice care is provided at the routine home care level which is reimbursed at approximately $135 per day.

The following are features about the hospice benefit:
• Does not require a deductible.
• Covers care provided by physicians, skilled nurses, certified nursing assistants, social workers, chaplains and grief counselors.
• Includes medical equipment (such as wheelchairs or walkers), medical supplies (such as bandages and catheters) and drugs for symptom control or pain relief related to terminal illness.
• Covers short-term inpatient care (for pain and symptom management) at a hospital or hospice residence and short-term respite care at a nursing home or hospital to aid in caregiver relief.
• Allows one hospice consultation with a hospice medical director or hospice doctor to discuss care options and management of pain and symptoms, without even having to elect the hospice benefit.

While Medicare defines a set of hospice core services, many hospice agencies surpass these through voluntary, community-based efforts. For example, some hospice agencies will cover the minimal co-payments for drugs and short-term respite care, thus eliminating patient expense. It is important to note that Medicare will still pay for covered services for any health problems that are not related to one’s terminal illness. Coinsurance and deductibles will apply to these services.

To learn more about the Medicare Hospice Benefit and view the booklet “Medicare Hospice Benefits,” visit www.medicare.gov or call 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227).

Unity, leaders in hospice and palliative care, provides comfort care to people of all ages throughout Northeast Wisconsin. Whether at a private home, nursing home or assisted living facility, Unity’s skilled team of nurses, physicians, social workers, nursing assistants, chaplains, volunteers and grief counselors ensure the best quality of life for both the patient and family, based on the individual’s needs and wishes. A not-for-profit health care provider, Unity is dedicated to ensuring that all individuals and the communities in which they reside have access to education, support and quality holistic care.