Financial Information
How is Hospice of Salina Funded?
Hospice of Salina, a not-for-profit, community based hospice care provider, is funded through insurance reimbursement and donations. Donations underwrite programs that are not reimbursed and make it possible for Hospice of Salina to care for patients who have no way of paying for their care.
Payment for Service
Hospice of Salina is a not-for-profit, Medicare approved and Kansas licensed provider of Hospice care.
Medicare and Medicaid
Medicare, working with Hospice providers, began paying for Hospice care in the early 1980's. They were first to recognize the benefits of Hospice care and to believe it should be reimbursed. The patient and their family, or other caregivers, are admitted to Hospice care. The Medicare Hospice benefit provides for the following services:
- Nursing care for management of symptoms and physical care
- Home health aide help for personal care and bathing
- Social work and counseling services to support patient and family
- Spiritual care (if the patient and / or family do not have a pastor, but desire one to visit, the Hospice Chaplain is available or can contact clergy from the patient's denomination to visit)
- Volunteer assistance
- Medications related to management of the illness for which the patient was admitted to Hospice
- Supplies (dressings, catheter, Depends, etc.) and equipment (hospital beds, oxygen, wheelchair, etc.) related to management of the illness for which the patient was admitted to Hospice
- Short-term inpatient care for symptom management or respite for caregivers
- Bereavement follow-up for family and caregivers for at least one year after the patient's death
The Kansas Medical Assistance Program, or Medicaid, provides a benefit that is identical to that of Medicare. Many states do not provide coverage of Hospice care through their Medicaid programs.
For patients insured by Medicare and Medicaid, all costs related to the terminal illness for which the patient was admitted to Hospice of Salina care are covered. Other health care needs are still covered by traditional Medicare and Medicaid. No bill will be sent to a patient or family by Hospice of Salina for the Hospice services a patient receives under either the Medicare or Medicaid Hospice benefit.
Private Insurance
Many private insurance companies now provide a benefit the same as, or similar to, the Medicare and Medicaid benefits. Be sure to read your insurance policy carefully to determine whether or not you have a Hospice care benefit. The patient's family will be responsible for any deductibles and co-insurance that are applied to the Hospice of Salina bill. Even if your policy does not contain a Hospice benefit, we will negotiate care on your behalf.
If you are unsure if your health insurance policy includes a Hospice benefit, ask your insurer; our social worker and billing clerk will work with you to find information. Call our office at (785) 825-1717 for assistance.
Patient Responsibility
Co-payments and deductibles are the responsibility of the patient. If payment of charges not covered by insurance are a hardship for the patient and family, staff will assist you.
Co-payments and deductibles may be paid at the office using a credit card.
No one is denied access to Hospice of Salina care because of lack of insurance or inability to pay for care.
You Can Make a Difference
Many people who support our mission say they derive great satisfaction from their generosity and would like to do more. We can suggest creative ways to support us that you might not have considered. If you are interested in any of these ideas, please feel free to call us to discuss them in greater detail. It is now possible to make charitable contributions to hospice using a credit card.
Some Old Favorites
Nothing could be easier than making a gift of cash to a charitable organization. It is the most common gift and the one you probably think of first. All cash donations are deductible if you itemize in the year of contribution and up to a limit of 50% of your adjusted gross income. Any excess deductions can be carried forward for the next five years. There are several types of cash contributions you can make.
- Annual or year-end gifts. Many people make once-a-year charitable donations frequently near the end of the year.
- "In Memory of" gifts. You can make a gift in memory of a friend or loved one. This can be done at the time of death or on the anniversary of a significant date, such as a birthday or a holiday.
- "In honor of" gifts. A cash donation can be made in honor of anyone you choose on the occasion of his or her birthday, graduation, anniversary of other opportunities. It is the perfect gift for someone who has everything.
- Gifts "In lieu of flowers." You may decide to make a gift to us in lieu of flowers when someone you know has died, because that person appreciated our work or had some connection to us. Sometimes the family of a donor requests that donations be made to us instead of sending flowers arrangements.
- Life Insurance. Do you have life insurance policies that are no longer needed? You may either donate the life insurance policy to us, or simply name us as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy. For the gift of a paid-up policy, you will be entitled to an income tax deduction equal to the lesser of the cash value of the policy or the total premiums paid. To qualify for the federal charitable contribution deduction of a gift of an existing policy you must name the charity owner and beneficiary. Even if you are still paying premiums on your policy you can give it away, and future gifts to us to pay the premiums will be tax deductible. Of course, the easiest way to use life insurance for charitable giving is to simply name us as the beneficiary of a policy. There are no current tax benefits to this arrangement because it is not irrevocable, and it is only partial interest in the policy; however, it provides a very generous gift with attractive tax benefits upon your death.
- Bequests. Have you made provisions in your will to benefit us? Bequests are the most popular type of planned gifts. Anything you leave to charity will reduce the size of your taxable estate while helping a good cause. You can leave a specific bequest of a specified sum of money or a particular piece of property to us. Other options are to leave a percentage of your estate or a percentage of the residue to us after making provisions for family or friends. For instance, you could leave us a specific bequest of $10,000 or you could leave us 10 percent of the residue of your estate.
- Appreciated securities. Property that has risen in value and that you've held for more than one year should be transferred directly to us. You pay no capital gains tax on this transaction and you can deduct the full fair market value. Fair market value is calculated using the average of the high and low share price on the gift date.
- Depreciated securities. If you have stock losses, sell the stock yourself to realize the loss and take the deduction for tax purposes. Then generate a charitable contribution deduction by donating the cash proceeds of the sale to us.
Other Considerations
A gift of real estate offers you the opportunity to make a significant contribution to charity with a tax friendly outcome. There are several ways to donate real estate depending on your situation.
- An outright gift. If you own property that is fully paid off, has appreciated in value and that you no longer need or use, such as a second home or vacation property, an outright gift may be the simplest solution. You can deduct the fair market value of your gift and avoid all capital gains taxes. Plus, you no longer have to worry about the carrying costs of continued ownership, and you have removed that asset from your taxable estate.
- A retained life estate. Did you know that you can transfer the deed of your personal residence or farm to us now and keep the right to use the property for your lifetime and that of your spouse? You will receive a current charitable deductions in an amount that is based upon your life expectancy and the value of the property.
- A bargain sale can be used to generate a gift that is less than the full fair market value of the property. In this scenario you agree to sell the property to a charitable organization at less than its fair market value. With this type of charitable gift, the difference between the sale price and the fair market value is the amount that determines your charitable deduction. While the tax rules relating to a bargain sale are somewhat complex, the net result is often more favorable than selling the property at fair market value and making a charitable contribution from the realized capital gain.
For More Information
The array of gift-giving options and the ways you can incorporate them into your estate plan are as varied as the circumstances they serve. We are always available to provide you with further information and suggestions on gifts that fit with your lifestyle and philanthropic goals.
If you would like to make a charitable contribution to Hospice of Salina, please mail to:
Hospice of Salina, Inc.
730 Holly Lane, PO Box 2238
Salina, KS 67402-2238
If you have questions about making a charitable contribution to Hospice of Salina, Inc., please call (785) 825-1717 and ask to speak to the CEO of the Hospice program.
