Does Medicare cover hospice care?
Yes. Medicare Part A covers the full cost of hospice care for eligible patients — doctor and nursing services, medical equipment, medications related to the terminal illness, short-term inpatient care, respite care for family caregivers, and bereavement support for the family. There is typically no out-of-pocket cost to the patient apart from small copays on outpatient drugs (capped at $5) and respite stays.
Who is eligible for hospice?
A patient becomes eligible for hospice when two physicians — the attending physician and the hospice medical director — certify a life expectancy of six months or less if the illness runs its normal course. The patient must also choose to focus on comfort care rather than curative treatment for the terminal illness.
How long can someone stay in hospice?
There is no fixed limit. Medicare hospice benefits are split into an initial 90-day period, a second 90-day period, and then unlimited 60-day periods, each with a face-to-face recertification by the hospice team. Patients who improve can be discharged and re-enrolled later if their condition declines again.
Where is hospice care provided?
Most hospice care happens wherever the patient calls home — a private residence, an assisted-living community, a skilled nursing facility, or a hospice's own inpatient unit. Care is brought to the patient by an interdisciplinary team that includes nurses, physicians, social workers, chaplains, aides, and volunteers.
Who refers a patient to hospice?
Anyone can initiate a hospice referral — a physician, a discharge planner, a family member, or the patient themselves. A hospice nurse will do an evaluation visit; the attending physician and hospice medical director then formally certify eligibility.
What's the difference between hospice and palliative care?
Palliative care is symptom-focused supportive care that can begin at any stage of a serious illness, alongside curative treatment. Hospice is a specific Medicare benefit for patients in the final phase of life who are no longer pursuing curative care. Both share the same focus on comfort, dignity, and family support — hospice is one form of palliative care.
What questions should I ask when choosing a hospice?
Useful questions: How quickly can you start care after admission? Is a nurse available 24/7 by phone, and who comes after hours? What is the average caseload per nurse? How will pain and symptoms be managed in the first 48 hours? What support do you offer the family? Do you have inpatient beds for general inpatient (GIP) care? What is your Medicare CAHPS rating and what does it reflect?
Is the hospice on this directory affiliated with chionline.org?
No. This is an independent directory. We don't accept payment from hospices to be listed, to rank higher, or to suppress reviews. Listings are pulled from the CMS Provider Data Catalog (Hospice General Information and the CAHPS Hospice Survey) and the Google Places API. If you find a factual error, please contact us.
