Medicare Hospice Benefits

What is Hospice?

Hospice is a way of caring for patients who are terminally ill.

• Hospice is covered under Medicare Part A.
• Focus is on care, not cure of the patient.

Eligibility requirements.

• Patient is eligible for Medicare Part A;
• The physician and hospice medical director certify terminal illness with less than six-month life expectancy;
• Patient signs statement choosing hospice care instead of routine Medicare covered benefits for the terminal illness;
• Care is provided from a Medicare-approved hospice program.

Length of Medicare covered hospice.

• Coverage can be extended as long as physician certifies terminal illness.
• Coverage is for two 90-day periods of care. If terminal illness continues, coverage can be continued for an unlimited number of 60-day periods.
• Physician certification of terminal illness is required at the start of each period of care.
• Patients can terminate hospice care at any time and resume care with the patient’s regular physician or health plan.

Hospice Covered Services include, but are not limited to:

• Physician services;
• Nursing care;
• Medical equipment and supplies;
• Medications for symptom control and pain relief;
• Short term hospitalizations or respite care;
• Home health aides and homemaker services;
• Physical, occupational and speech therapy;
• Social services;
• Dietary counseling; and
• rief and loss counseling for the patient and family.

Non-covered service:

• Treatment to cure the terminal illness.

Resources

The National Hospice Organization
1901 North Moore Street, Suite 901
Arlington, VA 22209
(800) 658-8898

The Hospice Association of America
228 7th Street, SE
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 546-4759

Pennsylvania Hospice Network
(717) 230-9993
Medicare
(800) 633-4227