No. Hospice with Medicaid in Oklahoma costs the patient nothing, because Oklahoma Medicaid (SoonerCare) includes a hospice benefit that covers care at no cost. Medicaid pays the hospice directly for nursing, physician services, counseling, medications, medical supplies, home health aide and homemaker services, and short-term inpatient care, so the family is not billed. The scope of the benefit is described on the federal Medicaid hospice page.
And at Seasons Hospice, serving Tulsa and Muskogee, the answer holds for everyone: all of our services are provided free to every family, with or without SoonerCare.
What does the Medicaid hospice benefit include?
Nursing, medical social services, physician services, counseling for the patient and family, short-term inpatient care, medical appliances and supplies, home health aide and homemaker services, and therapy services. It closely mirrors the Medicare hospice benefit, which most people know better.
How does someone qualify for hospice under SoonerCare?
The medical standard is the same as Medicare’s: a physician certifies a terminal illness with a life expectancy of six months or less if the disease runs its natural course, and the patient elects comfort-focused care. The hospice files the election paperwork for you.
What if my loved one has both Medicare and Medicaid?
Dual-eligible patients are common, and coverage coordinates smoothly: Medicare typically pays for the hospice care while Medicaid can help with other costs. Either way, hospice services reach the family at no charge, and the hospice’s admissions team sorts the billing behind the scenes.
What if a SoonerCare application is still pending?
At Seasons Hospice, care does not wait on paperwork. We can begin serving your loved one while an application is processed, help with the application itself, and if coverage never comes through, our no-cost promise covers the family anyway.
Hospice with Medicaid in Oklahoma at a glance
Oklahoma Medicaid (SoonerCare) and Medicare hospice benefits cover closely similar services under the same medical standard: a physician certifies a terminal illness with a life expectancy of six months or less if the disease runs its natural course, and the patient elects comfort-focused care. Medicaid pays the hospice directly, so the patient is not billed, and the benefit includes nursing, medical social services, physician services, counseling, short-term inpatient care, medical appliances and supplies, home health aide and homemaker services, and therapy services. For patients with both coverages, Medicare typically pays for the hospice care while Medicaid can help with other costs, and at Seasons Hospice care does not wait while a SoonerCare application is pending.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies medically? | A physician certifies a terminal illness with a life expectancy of six months or less if the disease runs its natural course |
| What does the patient pay? | Nothing, because Medicaid pays the hospice directly |
| What does Medicaid cover? | Nursing, medical social services, physician services, counseling, short-term inpatient care, medical appliances and supplies, home health aide and homemaker services, and therapy services |
| What if the patient has Medicare and Medicaid? | Medicare typically pays for the hospice care while Medicaid can help with other costs |
| What if an application is pending? | Seasons Hospice can begin serving while it is processed |
Medicaid hospice care in Tulsa and Muskogee, OK
Seasons Hospice has served SoonerCare families and uninsured families alike at no cost since 1998. Coverage questions should never delay comfort. Contact us today or call (918) 745-0222 in Tulsa or (918) 910-5018 in Muskogee.