Reimbursement of Hospice House Services

Portions of the care provided at Hospice House are covered under Medicare and Medicaid as well as some private insurance carriers. Medicare and Medicaid per diem rates include coverage for professional services, equipment, medical supplies and medications related to the terminal illness. The patient will remain financially responsible for medications and supplies not related to the terminal diagnosis. Private insurances often cover hospice in the same manner as Medicare and Medicaid. The out-of-pocket expense for Hospice House services depend upon the level of care received. The expenses are as follows:

• Routine Home Care
  Room and board charges are $125. This charge may be reduced based upon financial assessment. Per the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines, room and board charges are a non-covered service.
  
• Continuous Home Care
  This level of care is not available at the Hospice House.
  
• Respite Care (short term caregiver relief)
  Patient responsibility is $5.00 per day as per CMS guidelines. Respite care is provided only when necessary to relieve the family members or other caregivers that are caring for the beneficiary. Respite is short term and reimbursed for no more than five days at a time.
  
• Inpatient Care (care for pain and symptom management:
  Covered 100% by Medicare/Medicaid, room and board charges do not apply under this level of care (patient will remain responsible for medications and supplies not related to terminal diagnosis).
  Inpatient care is provided when the patient needs acute or chronic pain and/or symptom management that cannot feasibly be provided in other settings.