Hospice care for a terminally ill Medicare beneficiary is covered under which part of Medicare?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
Medicare covers hospice care under Part A for beneficiaries certified as terminally ill, typically with a life expectancy of six months or less. The hospice benefit includes pain relief, symptom management, and supportive services for the patient, with the goal of care shifting from curative treatment to comfort. Because hospice is an end-of-life component of the Medicare program funded through Part A, option A is the correct part designation for the hospice benefit. The beneficiary must be certified as terminally ill, and the hospice election shifts coverage from curative treatment to palliative, comfort-focused care.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) Part B covers physician services and some outpatient care provided during the hospice election, but the hospice benefit itself is a Part A benefit. Part B supports care during hospice but the hospice benefit package itself is Part A's.
- C) Part D is the voluntary prescription drug benefit; it covers medications but is not the home of the hospice benefit. Part D's role is limited to prescription drugs and never encompasses hospice services.
- D) Hospice is covered by Original Medicare Part A regardless of any Medigap policy; Medigap only supplements Medicare cost-sharing and is not the source of the coverage. The hospice benefit is a core Medicare Part A benefit available without regard to Medigap.
Memory hook
Hospice lives in Part A: comfort at the end, paid by the hospital-side fund, not the drug card.