|
|
What is Hospice?
The word hospice has its roots in Latin and originally referred
to a place of shelter for travelers, most often a place of respite
for people returning from religious pilgrimages. On many levels,
the term hospice remains associated with a place for travelers, in
today's world for those people who are embarking upon their final
life journey.
The hospice movement itself actually is of fairly new origin.
During the 1960s a British doctor, Cicely Saunders, established the
first modern hospice near Greater London. Christened St.
Christopher's, the hospice utilized a team approach to patient care
giving and was the first program of its kind to incorporate modern
pain management in the comprehensive, dignified and compassionate
care of people on their final life journey.
The first hospice in the United States opened its doors in
Branford, Connecticut about ten years later in 1974. The original
hospice in America followed the same health care and pain management
regimens that that were adopted and implemented initially in the
United Kingdom.
Who Pays for Hospice - The Medicare Hospice Benefit
The simple answer is Medicare pays 100%, Medicaid pays 100%, private
insurances typically pay 100%, and Katy Hospice is committed to
providing indigent care where needed.
The Medicare Hospice Benefit, initiated in 1983, is covered under
Medicare Part A (hospital insurance). Medicare beneficiaries who
choose hospice care receive a full scope of non-curative medical and
support services for their terminal illness. Hospice care also
supports the family and loved ones of the patient through a variety
of services, enhancing the value of the Medicare Hospice Benefit.
The Medicare Hospice Benefit provides for:
- Physician services
- Nursing care
- Medical appliances and supplies
- Drugs for symptom management and pain relief
- Short-term inpatient and respite care
- Homemaker and home health aide services
- Counseling
- Social work service
- Spiritual care
- Volunteer participation
- Bereavement services
Who is Eligible for Medicare Hospice benefits?
Medicare has three key eligibility
criteria:
- The patient chooses to receive hospice care rather than
curative treatments for his or her illness;
- The patient’s doctor and the hospice medical director use
their best clinical judgment to certify that the patient is
terminally ill with a life expectancy of six months or less, if
the disease runs its normal course; and
- The patient enrolls in a Medicare-approved hospice program.
The six month prognosis is a stumbling block for many patients,
family members, and frankly physicians. Hospice is all too
frequently seen as “giving up,” particularly by those trained to
heal, save, and cure. The human reality is that we and those we love
will all confront death. Many will confront it surrounded by more
pain and distress than would otherwise be necessary. The story of
hospice is that it isn’t about death and dying; it is about living
well, and connecting with those you love for every moment possible.
Even the best physician is only human and cannot absolutely
guarantee an accurate prognosis or timeframe with any life limiting
illness or disease. The key is to ask the physician if he or she
would be surprised if the person considering hospice were to die
within six months. If the answer is no, contacting us is the
appropriate next step.
What about other reimbursements?
Medicaid reimburses care costs for those receiving Medicaid funding
in a nursing facility.
Most private health plans and long-term care insurances have hospice
benefits. If you have a question about coverage, do not let that be
a stumbling block. Call us and we’ll walk you through the process.
Any patient who needs hospice care, regardless of insurance or
ability to pay, will be served by the staff of Katy Hospice
Hospice Care.
What Services Does Katy Hospice, Inc. Offer?
The services offered and
frequency of delivery have one primary determining factor:
the patient’s need.
Some of the services provided include, but
are not limited to:
- Physician visits guiding the team in the overall medical
treatment plan
- Nursing visits for medical management and oversight and
clinical assessments and treatments
- Home health aides to assist with personal care, grooming and
hygiene, and other activities of daily living
- Social workers for support, education, and community resource
consultation
- Counselor for emotional and spiritual guidance and support
- Volunteer support for special tender loving care
- Durable medical equipment, which may include hospital beds,
oxygen concentrators, wheelchairs, and special mattresses based on
the patient’s needs
- Prescription medications related to the hospice admitting
diagnosis and for the management of pain and preservation of
comfort
How this actually works is that each hospice is reimbursed a daily
rate for each patient under their care. Katy Hospice believes in
exercising flexibility in developing a customized treatment plan
depending on the needs and wishes of each patient and family within
this reimbursement rate. This flexibility maximizes the sense of
control a patient has over his or her healthcare at a time when many
choices are being taken away. We believe in providing that dignity
and freedom throughout a person’s life.
|
