Is Medicare Paying For Your Hospice And Home Health Care Services?

If you are planning for either home health or hospice care, you may want to find out more about services that are covered by Medicare. Medicare is a Federal Health Insurance Program for people who are age 65 or older, people under 65 with certain disabilities or people of any age who have end-stage renal disease. Medicare has two parts: Medicare Part A – Hospital Insurance and Medicare Part B – Medical Insurance.

What Makes a Person Medicare Eligible? A person is eligible for Medicare if they or their spouse have worked for at least 10 years in Medicare-covered employment and the person is 65 years or older and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. If the person applying for home health or hospice services isn’t yet 65, they may qualify for Medicare coverage if they have a disability or permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplant.

Is Hospice Care Covered by Medicare? A patient is eligible for Medicare hospice benefits when:

- A patient is eligible for Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance); and

- The person’s doctor and the hospice medical director certify that the person is terminally ill and probably have less than six months to live; and

- A patient signs a statement choosing hospice care instead of routine Medicare covered benefits for a patient’s terminal illness

- A patient receives care from a Medicare-approved hospice program.

Please keep in mind that Medicare will still pay for covered benefits for any health problems that are not related to a patient’s terminal illness. A patient’s doctor and chosen hospice care provider will coordinate with the patient and family to set up a plan of care that satisfies any special conditions or needs.

Here is a list of the hospice services that are covered by Medicare:

- Doctor’s services

- Nursing care

- Medical equipment such as wheelchairs or walkers

- Medical supplies (such as bandages and catheters)

- Prescriptions drugs for pain relief and symptom control

- Short-term care in the hospital and/or including respite care

- Homemaker and home health aide services

- Physical therapist and/or occupational therapist

- Speech therapist work

- Social worker services

- Dietary counseling and nutrition planning

- Counseling to help a patient and a patient family with grief and loss

Medicare pays for nearly all of the costs of these services. Often, the only out of pocket expense that a new patient will have to pay part of the cost on is for outpatient drugs and inpatient respite care.

Does Medicare Cover Home Health Services? Medicare Part A covers specific home health services. Medicare will cover the following home health services for patients:

- Part time or intermittent skilled nursing care by a licensed practical nurse or RN

- Personal care therapy

- Occupational therapy

- Medical supplies that are directly related to your home health care plan, including wound dressings

- Resilient medical equipment

There may be a home health service that Medicare does not cover. If this is the case, be sure to have your home health care provider inform you as soon as possible so that you can properly plan for your home health expenses.

Is There A Medicare Approved Hospice or Home Health Care Provider Near Me? If you’d like to locate a hospice or home health care provider that is Medicare-approved, you might want to ask your doctor, get information from a patient State Hospice Organization, or contact your State Health Department. If you live in Utah, you can contact Millcreek Home Health and Hospice as they are a Medicare approved hospice and home health care provider.

Many hospice and home health services are covered by Medicare. We hope that you will find a provider near you and that you or your loved one will get the Medicare covered services that are needed.

Learn more about Utah Home Health and Hospice Care here.