My Mom is on comfort care now. Should I keep her supplemental ins and drug coverage?
All medication has been stopped. She is in a nursing home going on our 3rd year. She has dementia. She has quit eating but continues to drink the shakes, medipass and milk. She doesn't talk a whole lot.
Even on comfort care, there may be things covered by the supplemental and drug coverage which can be used to make her more comfortable. Pain meds, for example, would be just one. Meds for constipation, or enemas. Treatment for bed sores, such as topical treatments or visits by wound care nurses. Dropping that coverage could very well mean costs to you which exceed what it costs to keep the coverage. Watch those billing summaries for about 6 months (the ones you get monthly via Medicare) and stay the course till you have real numbers to make the decision with. Otherwise you could end up being "penny wise/ pound foolish" in retrospect.
Yes, if it were me I would keep the supplemental and drug coverage because, as Maggie said, your mom may come off hospice for some reason. You never know what could happen. I would keep them for now.
Personally, I would not. You might decide to remove her from hospice. Hospice might disenroll her because she begins to improve. Now, that's my opinion. You may want to ask the hospice doctor.
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So exhausting and sad...