MedicareWire

Shop and compare Medicare plans nationwide.

Speak to a Licensed Advisor[1]

1-855-266-4865

Mon-Fri: 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET

  • Medicare Advantage
  • Medicare Part D
  • Medigap
  • Special Needs
  • More➲
    • Senior Dental Insurance
    • Best Medicare Plans
    • MedicareWire Blog
      • Latest Posts
      • Medicare Insurance Plans
      • What Does Medicare Cover?
    • Important Resources
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Medicare Glossary
Home › MedicareWire Blog › Does Medicare Cover Hospice Care at Home?

Does Medicare Cover Hospice Care at Home?

September 3, 2020

Does Medicare Cover Hospice Care at Home

What Is Hospice Care at Home

Many people wish to spend their final days at home, not in a hospital or assisted living facility. To do that, they need an increasing amount of medical care as they approach their time to pass. While some care may be provided by home health care aides, there’s some care only those with medical experience and knowledge can provide. The combination of care from home health aides and nurses is what creates hospice care at home.

Medicare covers almost all aspects of hospice care. In fact, there’s very little cost to patients, so as long as you use a Medicare-approved hospice program. To qualify, you must be eligible for Medicare Part A and your doctor must certify that you are terminally ill and have six months or less to live. These are your costs if you have Original Medicare:

  • You pay nothing for hospice care.
  • A copayment of no more than $5 for each prescription drug and other similar products for pain relief and symptom control while you’re at home.
  • You may need to pay 5% of the Medicare-approved amount for inpatient respite care.

In this MedicareWire article, we’ll cover what you can expect from hospice care at home and how Medicare covers it.

When Can Hospice Care Begin

When a doctor recommends hospice care due to a terminal illness (death is expected in 6 months or less), hospice care at home can begin. This doesn’t mean there is a guarantee the person will die in the next six months. If the person outlives the six months, another six months may be recommended by the treating physician.

The Four Levels of Hospice Care

There are four levels of hospice care:

  1. Routine Hospice Care – This type of hospice care includes nursing and home health aide services.
  2. Continuous Home Care – This level provides nursing care services on a continuous basis during a crisis.
  3. General Inpatient Care – A nurse or physician provides services just as the person would receive in a hospital setting.
  4. Respite Care – Caregivers get a break by having a home health aide or nurse come to the home to take care of the person.

The levels of hospice care change as needs change. Routine hospice may turn into continuous, or respite may turn into a routine level, etc.

What to Expect with Hospice Care

Hospice care services depend on needs and desires. Depending on the home health agency’s hospice care services, people can receive the following services while at home.

  • Religious services
  • Counseling
  • Pain medication
  • Medical equipment and supplies
  • Nutrition coaching
  • Physical therapy

Each person receives a personalized treatment plan with a schedule of services. The appropriate professional will come to the home to provide the services.

What It Means to Have Hospice Care

Hospice care means the person under care has decided not to go to the hospital for emergency care if the need arises. If the person decides to go to the hospital, hospice care ends.

Hospice care can be reinstated after the person comes back home, but the person would have to get started with the process again. This includes getting the recommendation from the doctor and completing the paperwork to restart services.

Getting Started with Hospice Care

If you or your older loved one has decided hospice care would be best, the first step in getting hospice is speaking with your doctor. The doctor will review your medical history and current medical condition to determine if you have a terminal illness. The doctor will write a recommendation for hospice care if it is appropriate at this time. From there, you can start working with a home care agency to start hospice care.

 

Article by David Bynon / MedicareWire Blog, What Does Medicare Cover? / does medicare cover, hospice care

Do Low-Cost Medicare Supplement Plans Save Money?

Medicare supplement insurance premiums continue to increase. The increases have a lot to do with changes brought about by the Affordable Care Act (aka, Obama) and how these changes affect reimbursements to health care providers. As a result, a lot of seniors are asking about low-cost Medicare … [Read More...]

Is CMS Biased in Favor of Medicare Advantage?

While studying Medicare & You 2021: The official U.S. government Medicare handbook to look for changes coming in the new year (which you can download here), the MedicareWire staff began noticing language and diagrams that it felt would bias readers. In fact, once you start looking for it, you … [Read More...]

2021 Medicare Open Enrollment: A Guide to Dates, Costs and Eligibility

Everything you need to know about Medicare's Annual Election Period (AEP) dates, costs, eligibility, and opportunities to change your Medicare insurance coverage this Fall. What’s in this 2021 Medicare AEP guide? When is Medicare Open Enrollment for 2021 Coverage? How to Enroll in … [Read More...]

Does Medicare Cover Physical Therapy After An Accident or Surgery?

Does Medicare Cover Physical Therapy? If you’re covered by Medicare and have an illness or injury that requires physical therapy, you may wonder, “what does Medicare cover?” More specifically, you’ll likely want to know does Medicare cover physical therapy? In this article, we will look at … [Read More...]

Does Medicare Cover Eye Exams for Seniors?

Does Medicare Cover Eye Exams? With Original Medicare, you have coverage for all of the routine checkups and preventative care you need. But what about your eyes? If you are wondering if your medicare benefits cover visits to the eye doctor, you might be surprised by the answer: Original … [Read More...]

More Posts from this Category

Related Topics

[1] Licensed Sales Agent

Licensed sales agent (“advisor”) services are provided by HealthPlanOne, LLC, MedicareWire’s trusted partner. Read our full sales agent disclosure.

[2] Trademark Notice

MedicareWire uses legal U.S. trademarks to identify and describe Medicare and other insurance products for shoppers. See our full trademark use disclosure.

About MedicareWire

  • About
  • Contact
  • Connect with Us!
  • Privacy
  • Disclosure
  • Medicare Supplement Reviews

Copyright © 2021 MedicareWire.com - All Rights Reserved

Who is MedicareWire?
David Bynon
Chief Petty Officer David Bynon re-enlisting 15 September 2001.

Hello, my name is David Bynon.

I founded MedicareWire in 2011 after retiring from the Navy. I’ve made helping people like you my full-time retirement profession.

My goal is to help you see all the rates offered by insurance companies that sell Medigap policies in your area.

I am not an insurance agent.

My job is to make sure that you have the information you need to be comfortable with your plan decision. When it comes to choosing a Medigap plan, I want you to be able to see all rates and carriers before speaking with an agent.

To provide you with this free service, I need to ask you to provide your age, gender, zip code, and email address. I promise to keep your information secure. You can count on me not to share, sell, or otherwise divulge your information to anyone.

Yours in Better Medicare.

David Bynon

Medigap Quotes by Email: Compare and Save!


Complete this form and MedicareWire will send you a complete rate analysis on Medigap plans in your area. This is a free service with no obligations.

Answers to the following questions will allow us to get accurate information for you. These are some of the same questions you will be asked when you apply for insurance. We will not sell, provide, or otherwise disclose the information you provide to anyone.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.