What type of coverage will Mildred's Allcare Medicare Advantage plan provide during her hospice care?

Mildred's Allcare Medicare Advantage plan is designed to provide coverage that is generally aligned with Medicare's benefits but may have specific guidelines regarding hospice care. Under Medicare, hospice care is a specific set of services aimed at providing comfort and support for individuals diagnosed with terminal illnesses. It is essential to understand that Medicare, including Medicare Advantage plans, retains primary responsibility for hospice benefit coverage.

When a patient elects hospice care, Medicare pays for the hospice services that are deemed reasonable and necessary for the management of pain and other symptoms associated with the terminal illness. Although Medicare Advantage plans typically offer coverage similar to Original Medicare, they must adhere to the same guidelines for hospice care. This means that Allcare, like other Medicare Advantage programs, would not provide additional coverage for these specific hospice services since they are already covered under Original Medicare.

Therefore, the correct response correctly indicates that Original Medicare will cover hospice benefits, while Allcare, as a Medicare Advantage plan, does not provide separate hospice service coverage. This reflects the standard procedure where hospice care remains under the purview of Medicare rather than being supplemented by the Medicare Advantage provider.