Hospice care is always covered under Original Medicare, even if you have a Medicare Advantage Plan. After electing hospice, care related to your terminal illness will follow Original Medicare’s cost and coverage rules.

While you cannot receive curative care for symptoms related to your terminal illness, Medicare will cover treatment for unrelated conditions. For example, if you have elected hospice because you have terminal cancer and you fall and break your hip unrelated to the cancer and meet other requirements, Medicare would cover the physical therapy you need for the broken hip. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan and need care unrelated to your terminal condition, you can choose to either see providers in your plan’s network or see Original Medicare providers.

• When seeing Medicare Advantage providers, you should follow your plan’s coverage rules, including seeing in-network providers. You should owe your usual Medicare Advantage cost-sharing.
• If you see Original Medicare providers, you will pay Original Medicare cost-sharing.

Your Medicare Advantage Plan or Part D plan should also cover prescription drugs unrelated to your terminal condition, and the plan’s cost and coverage rules will apply.

Your Medicare Advantage Plan will also continue to cover any additional benefits it provides, such as vision or dental services.

© Medicare Rights Center. Used with permission.

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