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Do I Lose Any Medicare Benefits Because I Am on Medicare Hospice?

The different parts of Medicare provide different types of coverage. If you meet all the requirements related to each type of coverage, Medicare will pay for your medical costs. A part of Medicare's basic coverage provides for hospice care services, and having this coverage does not disqualify you from having other types of Medicare coverage, as long as you actually enroll in those programs.

  1. Hospice Care

    • Medicare Hospice Care is simply a part of Medicare Part A coverage, which is hospital insurance. You do not lose any other Medicare coverage you have because you use your Medicare hospice care benefits. If you are enrolled in other Medicare parts, you are entitled to all benefits you pay for every month. You can also use other Part A benefits, even if you are entitled to free Part A because you paid Medicare tax. A Part C plan includes all Part A and Part B coverage plus additional coverage, except hospice care. In this case, your Medicare Part A is the coverage still providing funding for this benefit.

    Hospice Care Coverage

    • Hospice care coverage is for individuals who have been diagnosed with a terminal disease. To be eligible to receive this coverage, your doctor is required to certify that you have six months of life or less. If you are eligible to receive this coverage, Medicare helps you with the costs of drugs for pain relief and symptom management, some medical equipment, medical services, nursing services, social services and some services that Medicare usually does not cover, such as grief counseling. Medicare hospice care does not help you to pay for room and board costs. This coverage is for care at at your place of residence.

    Hospice Care Costs

    • You do not pay anything for the costs related to hospice care. You do have to pay a co-payment of a maximum of $5 per outpatient drug prescription for pain and symptom management, and you must also pay 5 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for inpatient respite care, which is when another caregiver takes care of you for a short period of time, so your primary caregiver can rest. If you need a short inpatient stay at a hospital because you are in need of a treatment that cannot be provided at home, Medicare covers all its costs for up to five days each time. After this period, you pay for all costs.

    Other Medicare Coverage

    • If you use your Medicare Hospice Care coverage, you might still need other health coverage not included in Part A. You can add Part B, which is medical insurance. It also provides home health care services. You might choose to add a Part C plan that includes additional services you need and that do not relate to your terminal illness, such as hearing coverage. Although hospice care helps you pay for drugs for pain relief, you might need to buy other prescription drugs to help with your treatment. To help you with the costs of these drugs, you might consider adding a Part D plan.

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