Disclaimer: Westlake Village Hospice Inc. is a licensed and Medicare-certified hospice care provider. We do not sell, prescribe, dispense, or ship prescription medications, and we do not operate an online pharmacy or telemedicine prescribing service. All hospice services are provided in person by licensed healthcare professionals. Any references to Medicare coverage, medication support, or medical coordination relate solely to patient care delivered under physician direction and do not constitute prescription drug sales or online medical services.
Medicare Hospice Benefit Guide
医疗保险提供者
医疗保险临终关怀福利几乎涵盖所有临终关怀费用
可及的临终关怀
西湖村临终关怀中心接受医疗保险。医疗保险提供一次性咨询，与医疗专业人员讨论护理选择。一旦您的临终关怀开始，医疗保险将涵盖您所需的一切。
我们努力使临终关怀对我们的患者及其家庭来说易于获得。西湖村临终关怀中心是一家门诊临终关怀服务机构，为患者提供个性化的家庭护理。
有了医疗保险A部分福利，临终关怀所有方面的自付费用将很少或没有。
我们服务的地区
医疗保险覆盖包括
医生服务
护理服务
医疗设备，如轮椅或助行器
Prescription medication for symptom control and/or pain relief
Incontinence Supplies
物理治疗
职业治疗
言语病理学服务
社会工作服务
行为治疗
营养师服务
为您和您的家人提供悲伤和失落咨询
管理您的疼痛和症状所需的任何其他医疗保险覆盖服务
The Four Levels of Care
Medicare mandates that hospice providers offer four distinct levels of care to meet patient needs in every situation. Westlake Village Hospice provides all four.
Routine Home Care
This is the most common level of care. Patients receive hospice services in the comfort of their own home, whether that makes a private residence, assisted living facility, or nursing home. Our team visits regularly to manage symptoms and provide support.
Continuous Home Care
In times of medical crisis, we can provide care for 8 to 24 hours a day to manage acute symptoms. This allows the patient to remain at home rather than being hospitalized while symptoms are brought under control.
Inpatient Respite Care
Caregiving can be exhausting. Medicare allows for up to 5 days of inpatient care for the patient in a Medicare-approved facility to give family caregivers a much-needed break (respite) to rest and recharge.
General Inpatient Care
If pain or symptoms cannot be managed at home, the patient can be temporarily admitted to a hospice inpatient unit or contracted hospital. Once symptoms are stabilized, the patient returns to routine home care.
不仅仅是姑息护理
西湖村包括姑息护理，以减轻患者的痛苦并提供舒适。姑息护理很重要，仅专注于缓解患者的症状。
与姑息护理不同，临终关怀强烈关注患者的情感、社会和精神健康，同时还为患者的日常生活提供帮助。
我们真正关心我们的患者及其家人，我们努力创造一个舒适、支持性的环境。
The Medicare Hospice Benefit: A Complete Family Guide
The Medicare Hospice Benefit is one of the most comprehensive healthcare benefits available in the United States — and one of the least understood. Millions of Americans qualify for hospice care fully covered by Medicare Part A each year, yet many families delay enrollment or avoid it entirely due to misconceptions about what it means, what it covers, and how it affects existing Medicare benefits.
The short answer: if your loved one has Medicare Part A and has received a prognosis of six months or less from their physician, they are likely eligible for full hospice coverage — with no deductibles, no co-pays, and no out-of-pocket costs for covered services. This includes nursing care, physician oversight, all covered medications, all necessary medical equipment, and support from an entire interdisciplinary team.
At Westlake Village Hospice, our admissions team handles the entire insurance verification and enrollment process. We confirm your loved one's Medicare eligibility, bill Medicare directly, and ensure your family never receives an unexpected bill.
Hospice vs. Curative Care Under Medicare: What Changes
When a patient elects the Medicare Hospice Benefit, they make a clinical choice to focus on comfort and quality of life rather than curative treatment for their terminal diagnosis. This is what changes — and what doesn't:
| Topic | Standard Medicare | Medicare Hospice Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment goal | Curative / disease management | Comfort / quality of life |
| ER visits | Covered for any medical reason | Not covered for terminal diagnosis (but not prohibited) |
| Hospitalization | Covered under Part A conditions | Covered only as General Inpatient Care for symptom management |
| Medications | Covered via Part B / Part D | All terminal-related medications fully covered by hospice |
| Equipment (bed, oxygen, etc.) | Covered via Part B with co-pay | Fully covered by hospice, delivered free of charge |
| Out-of-pocket cost | Deductibles + co-pays apply | $0 for all covered hospice services |
| Non-terminal conditions | Covered as before | Still covered by Medicare Part B as before |
Understanding Medicare Hospice Benefit Periods
Many families worry that hospice coverage will "run out." It doesn't — not under Medicare. Here's how the benefit periods work:
First 90-day benefit period. Re-certification required by hospice physician and attending MD before the period ends.
Second 90-day benefit period. Same re-certification requirement. Patient remains in hospice if still terminal.
Unlimited 60-day benefit periods. Patient is re-certified at the end of each 60-day period. No total lifetime limit.
Frequently Asked Questions About Medicare Hospice
What is the Medicare hospice benefit and how does it work?
The Medicare Hospice Benefit is a comprehensive benefit under Medicare Part A that pays for all aspects of end-of-life comfort care for beneficiaries with a terminal prognosis of six months or less. Unlike regular Medicare Part A coverage, hospice benefits have no deductibles, no coinsurance, and no co-payments for covered services. The patient (or their representative) signs an election form agreeing to receive comfort-focused care rather than curative treatment. The hospice agency bills Medicare directly, and the patient pays nothing for covered hospice services.
Does Medicare cover drugs and medications for hospice patients?
Yes. Medicare Part A hospice coverage includes all medications related to the terminal diagnosis. This covers pain medications (opioids), anti-anxiety medications, anti-nausea medications, medications for breathing difficulty, and all other drugs used to manage symptoms related to the terminal prognosis. Medications for conditions unrelated to the terminal diagnosis (such as heart medication for a patient whose hospice diagnosis is cancer) continue to be billed to Medicare Part B or the patient's supplemental insurance.
Can a patient leave hospice and return to curative treatment?
Yes. Hospice is always voluntary and reversible. A patient can revoke their hospice election at any time and return to curative treatment under regular Medicare coverage. If a patient revokes and later wishes to return to hospice, they may re-elect the hospice benefit at any time as long as they still have a terminal prognosis of six months or less. There is no penalty for revoking and re-electing.
What happens when a 90-day hospice benefit period ends?
The Medicare Hospice Benefit is divided into benefit periods: two initial periods of 90 days each, followed by unlimited 60-day periods. At the end of each period, the hospice physician and the patient's attending physician must re-certify that the patient still has a terminal prognosis of six months or less if the terminal illness runs its normal course. If re-certified, coverage continues into the next benefit period with no change to the patient's care. There is no total cap on Medicare hospice days.
Does Medicare cover hospice if the patient lives in an assisted living or nursing facility?
Yes. Medicare covers hospice care wherever the patient calls home — including assisted living facilities (ALFs), board and care homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), and memory care communities. The hospice team visits the patient at the facility location. For patients in skilled nursing facilities, there are specific billing coordination requirements between the hospice agency and the facility, which our admissions team handles entirely on your behalf.
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