Hospice Care Through Your Medicare Benefit

Even as healthcare costs have risen dramatically, hospice remains fully covered under Medicare. For the vast majority of our families, there is no out-of-pocket expense.

Medicare Covers Hospice

Hospice is covered under Medicare Part A (hospital insurance). If you have original Medicare or Medicaid, hospice services are typically covered at no cost to you. This includes all services, treatments, prescription drugs, supplies, and equipment related to your hospice diagnosis.

Private Insurance Hospice Coverage

Most private insurance plans also cover hospice services, though coverage varies by plan. We verify your coverage and submit all the paperwork.

What We Handle for You

When you choose Minnesota Hospice, we verify coverage with all insurance providers and submit all required claims, paperwork, and updates on your behalf. You focus on what matters. We handle the rest.

Covered Services Under Medicare Hospice

• Medical Management
• Physician-directed services
• Nursing, social work, spiritual care and home health aide
• Medications
• Medical equipment and supplies
• Short-term inpatient care
• 24/7 on-call availability

Personal Care from Home Health Aides

To lessen the burden on families, our Home Health Aides can help with daily living activities, including but not limited to:

• Bathing assistance
• Hygiene assistance
• Help with feeding
• Social and emotional support

Emotional and Spiritual Support

You and your family receive support from medical social workers, spiritual care providers (if desired), bereavement services, and trained volunteers.

Communication Support

Minnesota Hospice understands how important communication is during this time and we recognize that some of our families face communication challenges due to hearing, speech or visual impairment.

We provide interpreter services at no cost if you need language assistance, sign language interpretation, or TTY/TDD services. 

Non-Covered Services

The following services are not covered under the hospice Medicare benefit:

• Treatment intended to cure your serious, life-limiting illness. As a hospice client, you always have the right to stop hospice care at any time and get the Medicare coverage you had before you chose hospice care.

• Prescription drugs to cure your illness rather than for symptom management or pain relief.

• Care from more than one hospice provider at the same time. All care that you receive for your hospice diagnosis must be given by one hospice agency of your choice. You cannot get the same type of hospice care from two agencies at the same time.

• Room and board are not covered by Medicare if you receive hospice care in a skilled nursing facility, assisted living facility or hospice residential facility.

• Care in an emergency room, a hospital facility or ambulance transportation, unless it is either arranged by your hospice agency or is unrelated to your hospice diagnosis.

• Hospice Care with a Medicare Advantage Plan, all Medicare-covered hospice services are covered under the regular Medicare Part A benefit, even if you are in a Medicare Advantage Plan (like HMO or PPO) or other Medicare Health Plan. However, your Part A benefit will continue to cover you for any extra services not covered by the regular Medicare Part A benefit, such as dental and vision benefits. If you choose to stay in your Medicare Advantage Plan while getting hospice care, you must continue to pay your plan’s monthly premium.

• Care For a Condition Other Than Your Hospice Diagnosis
  You should continue to use the regular Medicare Part B Benefits to get care for any health problems not related to your hospice diagnosis. The hospice team will determine whether any other medical care you need is related or not related to your hospice diagnosis. You must pay any deductible and coinsurance amounts for all Medicare B covered services. You must also continue to pay Medicare premiums, if necessary.

Questions About Coverage?

Call us at 952-898-1022. 

Additional Resources:

• Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE
• National Alliance for Care at Home
• Request the “Medicare and You” handbook: 1-800-MEDICARE

For more information about the Medicare Plan, Medicare Advantage Plans, Medigap and other Medicare Health Plans, look in your copy of the “Medicare and You” handbook mailed to every Medicare household in the fall. If you do not have the “Medicare and You” handbook, you can visit the Medicare website. You may also get a free copy by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.