Hospice Care Remains a Misunderstood and Underutilized Benefit, According to In-Hou...( SOUTHFIELD Mich. Jan. 26 /- As un...),Health

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- As unemployment continues to rise in the United States, Americans are battling to hold onto their health coverage. Many are worried about what would happen if they were struck with a serious medical condition - who would care for them? How would they pay for the care? But the widely known benefit of hospice care is often underutilized due to various misconceptions. This benefit is available to all eligible Americans - whether they are employed or not.

Although hospice care has slowly increased over the years with more than 1.2 million Americans enrolled, many Americans are still uninformed of its full services. Because hospice is often misunderstood by patients, family members and some health care providers, many patients who can benefit from hospice care are never enrolled. Of those patients who are enrolled, care is often given far too late. In fact, over 30 percent enter hospice within one week of death - much too short a time for the patient to benefit from the full range of services provided by hospice.

"We have to spread the message to more physicians, hospitals, patients and their family members to utilize hospice programs more appropriately," stated Laura A. Wagner, President and CEO of In-House Hospice. "Hospice services are covered through Medicare and most Medicaid programs. Even certain private insurances programs allow for hospice benefits. There is rarely out-of-pocket expense to the patient."

Wagner explains that Medicare patients are entitled to receive hospice care up to 180 days. Occasionally, with the improved quality of life, many patients live beyond the six month prognosis at which point their case can be reviewed and possibly approved for another 180 days of hospice programs.

"People pay into unemployment benefits in case they lose their job," explained Wagner. "What people don't realize is that they have also b
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