Hospice Care Question

[insurehound]

I'm having difficulty understanding the difference between what LTCi will cover versus what Medicare will cover for Hospice. If I understand this correctly, LTCi will cover non-medical facility and home care costs associated with Hospice (up to the daily/monthly maximum) but will not cover medications, care from a physician, etc. There seems to be some duplication between the two but LTCi concentrates on non-medical costs for Hospice. Have I got that right?

 

[Arthur Rudnick]

LTCI will cover hospice either at home or in a facility.
Medicare will do the same, but home hospice is usually limited to 4 hours a day, 4 days a week. LTCI will supplement that, up to the daily benefit of the policy.

No LTC policy will cover medications, that's the obligation of medical insurance, either private or Medicare, Part D.

 

[insurehound]

Thanks Arthur for the help.

 

[ltcadviser]

No LTC policy will cover medications, that's the obligation of medical insurance, either private or Medicare, Part D.

That's BS Arthur. In fact, the LTC policy that you personally own covers medications, does it not?
MedAmerica Simplicity. Cash. Remember now?

Oh yea.....

 

[Arthur Rudnick]

originally posted by LTCAdviser

That's BS Arthur. In fact, the LTC policy that you personally own covers medications, does it not?
MedAmerica Simplicity. Cash. Remember now?

You're partially correct Jack, but I don't own a Simplicity policy, I own a UNUM Total Home Care policy, which is basically the same thing.

Yes,of course cash will pay for meds.

But, aside from cash, I do not believe that any LTC policy will specifically pay for medications.

So, other than a cash policy (which I'm assuming by the original question, this policyholder does not have) I stand by my original answer, which was:

"No LTC policy will cover medications, that's the obligation of medical insurance, either private or Medicare, Part D"

And, you say......................

 

[ltcadviser]

originally posted by LTCAdviser



You're partially correct Jack, but I don't own a Simplicity policy, I own a UNUM Total Home Care policy, which is basically the same thing.

Yes,of course cash will pay for meds.

But, aside from cash, I do not believe that any LTC policy will specifically pay for medications.

So, other than a cash policy (which I'm assuming by the original question, this policyholder does not have) I stand by my original answer, which was:

"No LTC policy will cover medications, that's the obligation of medical insurance, either private or Medicare, Part D"

And, you say......................

Quote de Arthur Rudnick

Well then I say...
That's BS Arthur. In fact, the LTC policy that you personally own covers medications, does it not?
UNUM Total Home Care. Cash. Remember now?

Oh yea.....

 

[Arthur Rudnick]

previously posted by ltcdviser

Well then I say...
That's BS Arthur. In fact, the LTC policy that you
personally own covers medications, does it not?
UNUM Total Home Care. Cash.
Remember now?
Oh yea.....

I'm not sure what your point is Jack,
I agreed that a cash benefit policy will pay for anything, including medications.

The point I was making was that insurehound was asking the question and since he asked if a LTC policy would pay for medications, I assumed that there was no cash policy involved, or else he would not have asked the question in the first place.

The policy he refers to is most likely a reimbursement policy and a 100% reimbursement policy will NOT pay specifically for medications.

 

[ltcadviser]

It was just a tongue-in-cheek comment, Arthur. Why so serious

 

[Arthur Rudnick]

It was just a tongue-in-cheek comment, Arthur. Why so serious?

Me, I'm never serious, being serious is not good for your health........