Medicare defines Hospice this way: “Hospice is a comprehensive, holistic program of care and support for terminally ill patients and their families. Hospice care changes the focus to comfort care (palliative care) for pain relief and symptom management instead of care to cure the patient’s illness.”

It does not focus life threatening problems or identify, assess, prevent or treat them. Its premise is the person is in the terminal and should be allowed to die comfortably. 

Medicare pays hospice agencies a daily rate regardless of the number of services. The rate covers the hospice’s costs for services in patient care plan. There are four levels of hospice care: 

Routine home care is when the patient isn’t in crisis. “Home” can be a home, skilled nursing facility, or assisted living facility. 

Continuous home care is only for brief periods of crisis and only to maintain the patient at home. It comes with two conditions:

a) Hospice care is at home, not a hospital, SNF, or hospice inpatient unit, and

b) Care is primarily nursing on a continuous basis and may use hospice and/or home aides.  

Inpatient respite care is hospice care in an approved inpatient facility for up to 5 consecutive days so their caregivers can rest.

General inpatient care for pain and symptom management that must happen in a medical setting.

The shared objective of the team is to improve the quality and comfort of your death. 

If the Hospice provider is Medicare approved, then Medicare covers everything you need related to your terminal illness whether you are in original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan. For comparative information on hospice agencies in your area go to Medicare Compare. If you remain in an Advantage Plan you can get covered services for problems unrelated to terminal illness. See how hospice works for more details