Medicare cover services provided by PHS Care Hospice. The Hospice Benefit for Medicare patients helps cover medication, medical equipment and supplies, co-payments and family support counseling.

Medicare hospice patients must:

• Be covered by Medicare Part A
• Agree to “palliative, not curative care”
• Be certified by his or her physician as having a “medical prognosis that his or her life expectancy is six months or less, if illness runs its normal course”
• Continue to have a prognosis of six months or less; however, some patients are eligible for additional care as long as their prognosis continues to be limited

Patients in a Medicare Hospice program do not lose their other Medicare benefits. Usually, all costs associated with the care of the patient’s illness are covered under the program. At times, patients may be required to pay an out-of-pocket nursing home room and board fee.