Hospice care is financially covered by Medicare, Medicaid, most private insurers, long-term care insurance, and even some life insurance or annuity policies that cover terminal illness. This means all medications, medical equipment, and medical supplies related to your terminal illness will be provided at no cost to you or your family. For payer sources other than Medicare, there may be limited hospice levels of care due to the insurance company’s daily limits. Items & Services Included in the Medicare Hospice Benefit: The Medicare hospice benefit includes the following to reduce pain or disease severity and manage the terminal illness and related conditions: Services from a hospice-employed physician, nurse practitioner (NP), or other physicians chosen by the patient Nursing care Medical equipment Medical supplies Drugs to manage pain and symptoms Hospice aide and homemaker services Physical therapy Occupational therapy Speech-language pathology services Medical social services Dietary counseling Spiritual counseling Individual and family or just family grief and loss counseling before and after the patient’s death Short-term inpatient pain control and symptom management and respite care

Individuals with a life-threatening illness and a life expectancy of six (6) months or less following the normal cause of the disease may choose comfort care instead of curative or aggressive treatment. Hospice Eligibility Requirements: A patient diagnosed with a life-limiting condition, with a life expectancy of six months or less if their disease runs its normal course. Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) rating of 50%-60% Dependent in at least 3 of 6 Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) Alteration in nutritional status (e.g. 10% loss of body weight over last 4-6 months) Observable and documented decline in the clinical condition in the last 4-6 months as manifested by at least one of the following: 3 hospitalizations or emergency department visits Decrease in tolerance to physical activity Decrease in cognitive ability Other comorbid conditions To qualify for hospice care services, a hospice doctor and your doctor (if you have one) must certify that you are terminally ill and that you have a life expectancy of 6 months or less. When you agree to hospice care, you are agreeing to palliative care instead of opting for care to cure your illness. You must also sign a statement choosing hospice care instead of other benefits Medicare covers to treat your terminal illness and related conditions.

There are specific criteria to consider based on the patient’s primary diagnosis. The diseases below are generally applicable requirements for hospice care, amongst other eligibility requirements. AIDS Cancer Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) / Stroke Congestive Heart Failure COPD / Cardiopulmonary Disease Dementia Liver Disease Neurological Conditions (non-Alzheimer’s dementia) Parkinson’s disease Multiple Sclerosis ALS Hungtingtons Disease Renal Disease Patients have several payment options when it comes to routine care. If they have Medicare Part A and meets hospice eligibility requirements, then the government will pay as much as 100% of the cost. In such a case, there is no deductible and no copayment. Prescriptions and medical supplies related to the terminal illness diagnosis are also covered in the Medicare hospice benefit. Patients who do not have Medicare but have coverage from private insurance should ask their insurance company about the eligibility, deductibles, and copayments that may apply. Medicaid provides coverage, however, it varies by state.

Generally, Medicare pays hospice agencies a daily rate for each day a patient is enrolled in the hospice benefit. The daily payment rates cover the hospice’s costs for providing services included in patient care plans. Medicare makes daily payments based on 1 of 4 levels of hospice care: Routine home care: A Day the patient elects to get hospice care at home and isn’t getting continuous home care. A patient’s home might be a home, a skilled nursing facility (SNF), or an assisted living facility. Routine home care is the level of care provided when the patient isn’t in crisis. Continuous home care: A Day when both of these apply: The patient gets hospice care in a home setting that isn’t an inpatient facility (hospital SNF or hospice inpatient unit) The care consists mainly of nursing care on a continuous basis at home Patients can also get hospice aide, homemaker services, or both on a continuous basis. Hospice patients can get continuous home care only during brief periods of crisis and only as needed to maintain the patient at home. Inpatient respite care: A Day the patient elects to get hospice care in an approved inpatient facility for up to 5 consecutive days to give their caregiver a rest. Coinsurance will apply as per the Medicare plan. General inpatient care: A Day the Agency Interdisciplinary Group recommends hospice care in an inpatient facility for pain control or acute or chronic symptom management which can’t be managed in other settings. Coinsurance will apply as per the Medicare plan.

Caring Hands Hospice LLC offers bereavement services that assist our clients in dealing with the grief of losing a loved one. Our services are unmatched anywhere else. We create valuable content such as web pages, cinematics, tribute videos, and create keepsakes. We ensure that life is celebrated and give the family the support they deserve.

With this service, we will provide our clients with the necessary emotional and spiritual support they need during their final journey. We offer the help of specially trained compassionate specialists to provide spiritual/pastoral care that honors traditions and teachings of all different faiths. You can count on our help to make things as comfortable as possible for you and those you love.

When you need it, we will come to provide you with our excellent care and services. Whether you are at a private residence, nursing home, or assisted living community, our care team will come to you. Our team will make sure that you are free of any pain and discomfort. Visit frequencies vary by discipline type and are contingent upon the plan of care as evaluated by our care team and hospice physician. For after-hours needs, we provide 24-hour telephone access to clinicians who can answer questions, support caregivers over the phone, or dispatch a nursing team for urgent critical needs. Be sure to let us know how we are able to assist you!

We provide important support to the client’s family and friends in the event of their passing. The surviving family will have access to E-bereavement resources and up to 12 months of support as needed. This service begins with assessment and is customized according to what the client needs. Telephone visits and alternative e-bereavement services are offered throughout the process as well.