The Importance Of Medicare For End-Of-Life Care

About a quarter of Medicare’s spending goes towards coverage for those in their last year of life. Seniors most commonly die from expensive health problems like cancer, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular problems. You can sell final expense and life insurance policies to help your clients protect their families from financial burden after you’re gone! Medicare doesn’t cover everything, but here’s what it does cover:

Advance Care Planning

Advance Care Planning is an important part of Medicare Part B. Physicians can help Medicare clients fill out forms to prepare for the unfortunate event that they can no longer speak for themselves. Doctors receive about $80 for providing the service. It may include an “advance directive,” or written will. Nearly 40% of Medicare-eligible patients do not have an advance directive.

Advance Care Planning is free if as a part of a client’s first “Welcome To Medicare” physician appointment. Otherwise, it is subject to 20% coinsurance.

Hospice Care

For the terminally ill, Medicare provides hospice services including counseling, skilled nursing care, palliative drugs, and caregiver assistance. These services most typically occur within the patient’s home – otherwise, a hospital indemnity plan may be more sufficient.

How does Medicare define terminally ill? A patient must be expected to die within six months to qualify for hospice coverage. It’s all about providing end-of-life comfort and last-resort attempts to cure a problem. Efforts generally lessen with age, especially after age 73.

In 2014, Medicare payouts to those who soon passed totaled $34,520 per person. Medicare end-of-life services are among the most expensive for the program, but most important for clients. Keep your clients informed, and help them to make the decision to purchase hospital indemnity, final expense, and life insurance plans to supplement Medicare end-of-life care and coverage.