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Hospice Medicare Fraud – Health Care Providers Bilking the Patients’ Medicare

Believe it or not hospices are the one place where you would least likely think that health care providers would bilk the patients and their family members.

Do you have faith in health care professionals? Have you ever thought that the physician or nurse providing health care to you would take an unfair advantage of your situation? What about workers in a hospice?

Not only does fraud occur in a hospice, but it also happens in HMO’s, clinics, nursing homes, and hospitals. Everybody seems to be getting their fair slice of the pie.

In a hospice, many patients and their family members are not cognizant of the fraud taking place. The employees at the facility can be in a state of denial of all the crooked ways going on. If they choose to ignore the mistreatment of the patients, they are just as guilty of abuse as those who commit Medicare fraud.

Examples of Hospice Medicare Fraud

Management at a hospice dictates the total amount of care for in-home health care of patients facing imminent death. They have the power to minimize staff providing such care so that the patient gets a substandard level of care for their condition. This tactic is done to coerce the family to put the patient in a hospice where the cost of health care will skyrocket over home care.

Hospices are notorious for using less than qualified employees to administer care to their patients. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN’s) perform the same jobs that Registered Nurses (RN’s) should be performing. An RN supervises an LPN just about anywhere across the nation. If there is not enough supervision, the level of care to the patient is less than average. If the hospice chooses to reduce the number of RN’s on their staff in order to save some money, it is the patient who suffers.

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2011
03/12
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What Is the Tennessee Plan for Medicare Supplemental Policies?

When you retire, you are faced with some important personal decisions. That is why the State of Tennessee and POMCO are working together to make one of those decisions (Medicare supplemental healthcare) easier for you. As a retiree, you may be eligible for The Tennessee Plan. This Plan is designed specifically for retired state employees, teachers and local government employees and their eligible spouses and dependents. The Tennessee Plan Can Help Fill the Medicare Coverage Gap If you have Medicare coverage, you likely need The Tennessee Plan to help cover some of the expenses that Medicare does not. The Tennessee Plan helps fill most of the coverage gaps that Medicare creates.

If you are eligible, you can enroll in The Tennessee Plan coverage, commonly known as Medigap Coverage. The Tennessee Plan is a standard Medicare supplemental policy designed to fill in the coverage gaps in your Medicare Part A & B coverage.

What Kind of Gaps Do  Medicare Parts A & B Have?

In 2010, some of the charges Medicare requires you to pay include the following:

•  A $1,100 deductible out of your own pocket each time you are hospitalized.
•  Then $275 a day for the 61st to the 90th day in the hospital and $550 a day thereafter up to a 60 day lifetime reserve maximum.   Plus a $155 deductible for approved doctors’ bills and outpatient expenses and then you must pay an additional 20% of the Medicare approved charges after that.

You may be responsible for any amount over the Medicare approved charges from providers who do not accept Medicare assignment. Even with Medicare coverage, your out- of-pocket expenses can add up fast and cause financial difficulty. Coverage under The Tennessee Plan can help fill some of these gaps. There are 10 standard approved (by federal law) Medicare supplemental policies that can be offered. The Tennessee Plan offers benefits comparable to the Medicare Supplemental Standard Plan D.

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2011
03/12
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