Question 

My mother keeps getting these calls suggesting that she sign up for hospice care. They tell her that she will get all of these free benefits. They even want to send someone to her house to sign her up. It all sounds very suspicious, and I tell her to just hang up when she gets a call like that. 
Am I missing something here? Is my mother missing out on free care that I am ignoring? I need some guidance on this situation. 

Answer 

There are indeed people out there who are trying to scam the Medicare program by signing people up for hospice care that do not need it. They usually reach out to you via an unsolicited phone call or send a flashy mail flyer touting all of the free benefits you will receive. 

Once they capture your interest, they get the Medicare numbers for unsuspecting individuals and have the person sign a document electing hospice care. They also get a physician to sign off that your mother has a terminal condition and less than six months life expectancy. 

You might think it would be impossible to do this because your mother’s doctor would never agree to this. The sad truth is that it does not have to be her doctor who is signing the form. The hospice can simply have their own physician sign the paperwork. If they say that your doctor referred you and you had no such discussion with your doctor, contact your doctor to ask about the caller. 

The solution here is to ignore a solicitation that does not make much sense. Hospice care is for individuals that have a terminal illness. Hospice care is a wonderful benefit for people who are nearing the end of life. The care is designed for making the last days and months of life the best they can be. Hospice staff work toward that end with every visit. While we are all going to benefit from this form of care at some point, it should be left for those that are truly at the end of life. You are not entitled to hospice benefits until you are dying. Yes, we are all dying, but the hospice benefit is for those with a short life expectancy, not every old person. 

Your doctor should be the one you discuss hospice care with, not someone on the phone or someone who sends you a flyer. How would they know if you are dying or have another 10 years to live? Therefore, if you get solicited out of the blue, either ignore or discuss with your doctor. If you feel really adventurous, call the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS, and report the organization that contacted you.