Medicare coverage of Hospice

Medicare beneficiaries are eligible for hospice coverage if they are:

• Eligible for Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance)
• Doctor and Hospice Medical Director certify that the patient is terminally ill and has less than six months to live
• Care must be provided by a Medicare-approved hospice program
• Beneficiary signs a statement opting for hospice benefits instead of routine Medicare benefits (standard Medicare benefits will still be in place for other conditions the beneficiary may have, hospice benefits only apply to the terminal condition).

Services covered by hospice include:

• Doctor Visits (provided in-home to patients of Twelve Oaks Hospice)
• Nursing Care
• Medical Equipment and Supplies
• Prescriptions for pain relief and symptom control
• Short term care in hospital, including respite care
• Home health aides and homemaker services
• Physical, Speech and Occupational Therapy
• Dietitians
• Social Workers

To read more about the Medicare Hospice Benefit, click here to go to the Medicare Brochure on Hospice.