Medicare and supplemental insurance or a Medicare advantage plan for Hospice services?

Medicare hospice benefit pays for all covered medical& RX costs BUT did not cover the room & board cost at a NH for my mom. Medicaid however does pay the R&B at a NH (skilled nursing facility) or an AL if they participate in Medicaid.

Moriama - she's in an AL & till the incident was very independent, good on her ADL's, right? I'd suggest you clearly find out IF as she now needs & can qualify for medicare covered hospice level care that she can continue to live at the AL. AL may require residents to be good on their ADLs and someone on hospice, needing specialized nursing care & perhaps bedfast, may not meet that requirement. It may well be a NH is where she would be best at.

When on Hospice I think Medicare pays everything.

Moraima: The Medicare Supplemental cost all depends on which plan you pick. I have Plan F and cost is about $162.76/month. But I am confused as to why you are asking about Medicare Supplemental Plans if you have Medicaid (for granny)?

I just went through the Medicare sign-up process for my husband and I. Solis' information is good. The only thing I would add is that not as many providers accept the Advantage plans. While this might not be a problem in large cities, rural areas may have few, if any, providers. The money saved on premiums would be used on travel expenses.

What ever you do, I would not recommend an Advantage plan because this is a cost share program and you are likely to pay more out of pocket. I have just gone through this research for my parents. A MediGap plan is going to give your grandmother more coverage. Especially in her frail state. Part A and B covers hospice care coinsurance or copayment too. That's why dragonbait's hospice care was covered 100%.
Medicare.gov has information on the different supplemental plans that are available in your area, what they cover and contact information. Just do a supplemental plan search on their sight. It will take you several days to do the research but some insurers let you have a retroactive start day. Most are issue-age rated. Meaning they base their premium on the age you are on the day you signed up. There are different plan options including plan F (the Cadillac plan), plan G (covers everything except her part B deductible of $166), plan N ( covers everything except part B deductible, $20 office visit, $50 ER unless admitted). Everything else is not worth looking at because they only pay portions of Hospice and other services. These plans go from most expensive to least ranging from $140-$270/month based on who you call.
Your grandmother might not qualify for anything else but the. Cadillac plan F because plan G &N require a health questionnaire for eligibility. If she answers yes to being bedridden, wheel chair, chronic pulmonary disorder, CPOD, Parkinson's, osteoporosis with fractures, dementia, AIDS, diabetes, if you'd been advised you will need surgery in the next 12 months, among others- she will not be eligible for any other plan but F. The most expensive premium that runs from $212-$270/month based on my research. Sometimes Medicaid covers premiums for supplemental insurance depending on what she has. You would have to contact Medicaid or ask when you speak to supplemental insurance companies.
All this takes time and you don't have much. If you want hospice coverage for your grandmother, the best thing to do is not move forward with Part C.
Good luck!

When my husband was in hospice care, Medicare (Parts A, B, and D) paid all his expenses except for vitamins and one prescription that they didn't recognize as needed.

If you have Medicaid don't get the other insurances. Check for your state's free insurance advice program...start with the local Area Agency for Aging. Every county has one.

Check with local hospice organizations. I believe Medicare by itself will cover hospice and you may need neither a supplementsl or advantage program