Sunday, September 26, 2010

Free Medicare Hospice Program Available For Life-Threatening Illness

By Benjamin H Heinzeroth

What You Should Know about the Medicare Hospice Program

Hospice is really a comprehensive wellness treatment plan for the seriously unwell, who may possibly or may well not be close to death. In fact, it isn't at all rare that a beneficiary can get well sufficient to leave hospice.

Within the case in the Medicare hospice program, it offers comfort and help to people today who are severely ill in order to help them live their remaining time towards the fullest extent possible. Hospice focuses on physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. In addition, it delivers assistance towards the household members who are caring for the severely-ill person.

The benefit of hospice is that it can be provided in the household. The beneficiary is assigned a nurse who comes by to frequently check things including vital signs and to help with chronic or even acute medical complications. They, or another nurse, are on call 24-hours a day for emergencies. That means while hospice beneficiaries still keep routine appointments with doctors, hospice nurses can handle colds, the flu and other ailments that would ordinarily send them to a physician. This helps decrease Medicare emergency room costs and provides the beneficiary and loved ones peace of thoughts.

In addition, Medicare hospice assigns a licensed, professional social worker to assist family care givers with advice, counseling and resources. And hospice may well even supply a hospital-style bed, oxygen or an IV to prevent dehydration

Medicare Hospice Services Covered

Here is a general overview of the services that Medicare hospice services cover:

*Doctor services *Nursing care *Medical equipment (such as wheelchairs or walkers) *Medical supplies (such as bandages and catheters) *Drugs for symptom control or pain relief (may require small co-payment) *Hospice aide and homemaker services *Physical and occupational therapy *Speech-language pathology services *Social worker services *Dietary counseling *Grief and loss counseling for you and your family *Short-term inpatient care (for pain and symptom management) *Short-term respite care (may require small co-payment) *Any other Medicare-covered services needed to manage your pain and other symptoms, as recommended by your hospice team

Keep in mind that as of January 1, 2011, the health care reforms will require that a nurse practitioner or doctor have a face-to-face meeting with the patient at the end of the six month period to re-certify his/her eligibility.

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment