Medical Expense✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 2/5
Hospice care for a terminally ill Medicare beneficiary is primarily covered under which program and with what general cost-sharing feature?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why C is correct
Hospice care for beneficiaries with a terminal illness is a Medicare Part A benefit. The beneficiary elects hospice care instead of curative treatment, and Medicare covers hospice services with limited cost-sharing, such as a small copayment for outpatient drugs and possible coinsurance for inpatient respite care. This benefit underscores that Medicare provides end-of-life support, which is also why long-term custodial care remains largely uncovered by Medicare.
Why the other options are wrong
- A) Hospice is a Part A benefit, not a Part B benefit, and it is not subject to the standard 20% Part B coinsurance.
- B) Medicare itself covers hospice; a Medigap policy is a supplement, not the primary payer of hospice care.
- D) Medicaid is a state program for eligible low-income residents; it is not the primary hospice payer for all Medicare beneficiaries.
Memory hook
Hospice = Part A's end-of-life benefit, with limited copays for drugs and respite care.