It saddens me to realize the continued misunderstanding of the true meaning, benefits, and value of hospice care. I recently read a blog post by Alan Cato, MD on KevinMD.com entitled, “The problem of hospice in nursing homes.” Cato commented on “boutique care being driven by entrepreneurial interests,” and stated, “In the nursing homes, hospice [...]
Tag Archives | Medicare 
How is hospice care paid for?
Hospice care is covered under Medicare Part A, many private insurance plans, and Medical Assistance. Under the Medicare Hospice Benefit, all comfort medications related to the illness, as well as medical equipment (such as oxygen) are covered. Supplies such as disposable bed pads are also covered. And, of course, all services (nursing home health aides, [...]
Homecare 101: How can Homecare Help?
Homecare is a cost-effective post-acute care option for patients to receive health care services. Returning to (or remaining in) one’s home can promote a quicker recovery and improve the quality of life for patients (and their family or caregivers). Homecare is 100% covered by Medicare (and many other insurance providers) if the following conditions are [...]
Creating Innovative Solutions for Chronic Disease Management
It is a startling statistic… One-fourth of all Medicare spending goes to pay for the care of beneficiaries in their last year of life, and much of the growth in recent decades is the result of the high cost of treating chronic disease.* And even more startling is that even with all that spending, chronic [...]
Homecare Needs a Voice
Last week, I had the privilege of joining homecare and hospice representatives from all across the country in a “March on Washington” to meet with congressional leaders and discuss issues of healthcare policy reform and its effects on our industry. Some of the things we lobbied for included fighting cuts to our Medicare budget and [...]
Connect with us
