Claims From Medicare Advantage Organizations

Federal regulations require that Medicare fee-for-service contractors maintain payment responsibility for managed care enrollees who elect hospice. These regulations are found that Medicare Fee for Service retains payment responsibility for all hospice and non-hospice related claims beginning on the date of the hospice election.

A – Covered Services

While a hospice election is in effect, certain types of claims may be submitted by either a hospice provider, or a provider treating an illness not related to the terminal condition, to a fee-for-service contractor of CMS. These claims are subject to the usual Medicare rules of payment, but only for the following services:

1. Hospice services covered under the Medicare hospice benefit if billed by a Medicare hospice;

2. Services of the enrollee’s attending physician if the physician is not employed by or under contract to the enrollee’s hospice;

3. Services not related to the treatment of the terminal condition while the beneficiary has elected hospice; or

4. Services furnished after the revocation or expiration of the enrollee’s hospice election until the full monthly capitation payments begin again. Monthly capitation payments will begin on the first day of the month after the beneficiary has revoked their hospice election.