Paying For Hospice

HealthNow Hospice care is covered by government programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Veteran’s Administration (VA) benefits 100%.  Other private insurance also covers and provides hospice care for their insured members.

Medicare

Majority of HealthNow Hospice patients are covered by Medicare Hospice Benefit. The two main plan coverage of Medicare are the Original Medicare which has Part A and B and a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C). Hospice care is covered under Medicare Part A which guarantees the patient and family with no additional cost. The Medicare Hospice Benefit is designed to provide the terminally ill the financial backing so that the family is not burdened with a family member end of life care. A patient who is eligible and has Medicare Part A coverage are those diagnosed with 6 months or less to live and has chosen to accept comfort care and has given up on treatments to cure their illness.

The HealthNow Hospice Care Program can include services such as doctor services, nursing care, medical equipment and supplies, prescription drugs for symptoms control or pain relief, hospice aide and homemaker services, physical therapy and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology services, dietary counseling and grief and loss counseling for you and your family. As recommended by your hospice team, you may get any other Medicare-covered services needed to manage your pain and other symptoms that are related to your terminal illness and other related conditions.

Medicaid

Just like Medicare, Medicaid is also available at no cost to the patient and their family. Most states have Medicaid available for hospice care. Although some state Medicaid programs may have slightly different eligibility requirements, majority of the states have the same requirements under Medicare and Medicaid: patients must be diagnosed with a terminal illness with only 6 months or less to live and patient must accept comfort over cure. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program providing free or low-cost health coverage to low income individuals, families, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and seniors or the elderly.

Veteran’s Administration (VA) benefits

Veteran’s Administration offers hospice care as part of their VA Standard Medical Benefits Package. All enrolled veterans are eligible once they meet the requirements and clinical need for the service. There are no co-payers for hospice care, whether it is an organization with a VA contract or it is provided by the veteran’s administration itself.

Private Insurance

While most private insurance companies model their Hospice benefit coverage on the Medicare Hospice Benefit program, coverage may still vary. Many work-based and private insurance plans provide at least some coverage for hospice care and there are also those that offer full coverage. There are also different ways a person can be considered eligible for hospice care and what costs are covered can vary based entirely on the health plan that they have.

No Insurance

However, for those people who are not insured, there are some hospice organizations that may still offer hospice care at no cost or at a reduced rate based on employment status or the ability to pay. This is made possible through donations, charity, grants and other sources. There are absolutely a lot of ways to be able to get HealthNow Hospice Care at the end-of-the life treatment.