{"id":418,"date":"2020-01-02T20:42:55","date_gmt":"2020-01-02T20:42:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carebuilderspgh.com\/?p=418"},"modified":"2020-01-02T20:42:55","modified_gmt":"2020-01-02T20:42:55","slug":"understanding-medicare-hospice-benefit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carebuildersathome.com\/pittsburgh\/blog\/understanding-medicare-hospice-benefit\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Medicare Hospice Benefit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medicare\u2019s hospice benefit covers any care that is reasonable and necessary for easing the course of a terminal illness. It is one of Medicare\u2019s most comprehensive benefits and can be extremely helpful to both the terminally ill individual and his or her family, but it is little understood and underutilized.Understanding what is offered ahead of time may help Medicare beneficiaries and their families make the difficult decision to choose hospice if the time comes.<\/p>\n

The focus of hospice is palliative care, which means helping people who are terminally ill and their families maintain their quality of life. Palliative care addresses physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual needs while also supporting the terminally ill individual\u2019s independence, access to information, and ability to make choices about health care.<\/p>\n

To qualify for Medicare\u2019s hospice benefit, a beneficiary must be entitled to Medicare Part A, and a doctor must certify that the beneficiary has a life expectancy of six months or less. If the beneficiary lives longer than six months, the doctor can continue to certify the patient for hospice care indefinitely. The beneficiary must also agree to give up any treatment to cure his or her illness and elect to receive only palliative care. This can seem overwhelming, but beneficiaries can also change their minds at any time. It\u2019s possible to revoke the benefit and reelect it later, and to do this as often as needed.<\/p>\n

Medicare will cover any care that is reasonable and necessary for easing the course of a terminal illness. Hospice nurses and doctors are on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to give beneficiaries support and care when needed. Services are usually provided in the home. The Medicare hospice benefit provides for:<\/p>\n