Guide
Hospice and palliative care explained: what Medicare covers
Updated October 15, 2026 · Reviewed against official sources
Talking about hospice isn't easy. In many Latino families, the word sounds like giving up. But hospice doesn't mean you stop caring: it means putting comfort, dignity and time with family first. This guide explains what hospice is, what Medicare covers and how to choose without feeling rushed.
Palliative care and hospice: the difference
| Palliative care | Hospice | |
|---|---|---|
| When | At any stage of a serious illness | At the end of life, when the person is expected to live 6 months or less |
| Treatment to cure | Can continue at the same time | Treatment to cure the terminal illness stops, and the person gets comfort care |
| Goal | Relieve pain, shortness of breath, tiredness, nausea, trouble sleeping and stress | Comfort, symptom control and support for the family |
| How it's paid for | Like other medical care, depending on the person's insurance | Medicare hospice benefit (Part A), Medicaid or other insurance |
Put simply: all hospice care is palliative care, but not all palliative care is hospice. A person with cancer or heart failure can get palliative care while continuing their treatment; if later the treatment no longer helps, hospice can take over.
If your loved one has a serious illness and is suffering from pain or hard-to-manage symptoms, ask their doctor: "Can we have a consultation with the palliative care team?"
Who qualifies for Medicare hospice
According to Medicare.gov, a person can get hospice care if they have Medicare Part A and meet all of these conditions:
- The hospice doctor and their regular doctor (if they have one) certify that they have a terminal illness, with a life expectancy of 6 months or less if the illness runs its normal course.
- They accept comfort care (palliative care) instead of treatment to cure the illness.
- They sign a statement choosing hospice care instead of other Medicare-covered treatments for their terminal illness and related conditions.
The 6 months is a medical estimate, not a deadline. If the person lives longer, they can stay in hospice as long as the doctor recertifies that they still meet the conditions.
Benefit periods
Medicare covers hospice in two 90-day periods, followed by an unlimited number of 60-day periods. At the start of each period, a hospice doctor recertifies the terminal illness. The person also has the right to change hospice providers once in each period.
A consultation before you decide
Before starting, the person can have a one-time consultation with the hospice medical director or a hospice doctor to talk about their options and how to manage pain and symptoms, even if they end up deciding not to use hospice.
What Medicare hospice covers
Once the benefit starts, Original Medicare covers everything needed for the terminal illness and related conditions, as long as it's provided by a Medicare-approved hospice provider. Depending on the care plan, it can include:
- Doctor and nursing services.
- Medical equipment (wheelchair, walker, hospital bed) and supplies (bandages, catheters).
- Medications for pain and other symptoms.
- Hospice aide services and help with household chores.
- Physical, occupational and speech therapy.
- Social work services and dietary counseling.
- Grief counseling for the person and their family.
- Short-term inpatient care to manage pain and symptoms.
- Short-term respite care.
Hospice respite care: up to 5 days
If the person caring for your loved one at home (for example, a daughter) needs a rest, the hospice can arrange inpatient respite care at a Medicare-approved facility, like a hospice facility, a hospital or a nursing home. Each time, your loved one can stay up to 5 days. It can be used more than once, but only now and then. Read more about getting a break as a caregiver in respite care.
What you pay
| Item | What the person pays |
|---|---|
| Hospice care | $0 |
| Prescriptions for pain and symptoms | Copay of up to $5 per prescription |
| Inpatient respite care | 5% of the Medicare-approved amount (if Medicare approves $100 a day, the person pays $5) |
| Room and board at home, in a nursing home or in a hospice facility | Not covered by hospice |
That last point is important. If your loved one lives in a nursing home or another care home, hospice covers the care but not the daily rate for room and board. That part is still paid the same way as before: privately or, if they qualify, through Medicaid. The exception is the short inpatient stays for symptom control or respite that the hospice team arranges, which Medicare does cover.
If your loved one has a Medigap supplemental policy, it covers the hospice costs for drugs and respite care.
What hospice doesn't cover
- Treatment to cure the terminal illness. If the person wants to try that again, they can leave hospice at any time.
- Drugs that aren't for the terminal illness (these may be covered by Part D, with its copay).
- Care from another provider for the terminal illness that the hospice team didn't arrange. The person can still see their regular doctor if they chose that doctor as their attending doctor.
- Emergency room care, hospital stays or ambulance rides related to the terminal illness that the hospice team didn't arrange.
Before you call an ambulance or go to the emergency room, call the hospice's number first; it's answered 24 hours a day. The team can send a nurse, adjust medications or arrange transportation, which helps keep the family from having to pay the full cost. In a real emergency, call 911.
Medicare keeps paying for care for other health problems that aren't related to the terminal illness.
Where hospice care is given
Hospice care is almost always given at home, meaning wherever the person lives: their own home, a son's or daughter's home, or a facility like a nursing home. The team visits according to the care plan; they don't stay 24 hours a day, and the family or the facility is still the day-to-day caregiver. When needed, hospice care can also be given in a hospice facility, a hospital or a skilled nursing facility.
In a nursing home, the staff who already know your loved one stay by their side, and the hospice team adds support with pain, symptoms and the family.
You can leave hospice and come back
Choosing hospice isn't a forever decision. If their health improves or the person wants to try a treatment, they can leave hospice at any time by signing a form with the date they're leaving. That decision belongs only to the person (or their legal representative), and no one should ask them to sign that form if they didn't ask to leave. People who had Original Medicare go back to their regular coverage and, if they still meet the requirements, can return to hospice later.
With a Medicare Advantage plan, Original Medicare pays for hospice, and the person can stay in their plan if they keep paying the premium.
How to choose a hospice provider
- Talk with your loved one's doctor, or with the hospital social worker if they're in the hospital.
- Use Care Compare on Medicare.gov (medicare.gov/care-compare) to see Medicare-approved hospices in your area and compare their quality results and family reviews. You can also search our directory of hospice providers.
- Call 2 or 3 hospices and ask questions like these:
- Do you have nurses, social workers or chaplains who speak Spanish?
- How often would the nurse come? And the aide who helps with bathing?
- How does your 24-hour line work? How long does it take you to come at night?
- Do you work with the nursing home where my mom lives?
- Where does the 5-day respite stay take place?
- What spiritual and grief support do you offer the family, and for how long?
Hospice teams stand by families during one of the most delicate times in life. Telling them about your customs, your faith and what matters to your loved one helps them provide care the way your family wants.
Get documents ready ahead of time
Before a crisis comes, it's a good idea for your loved one to put their wishes in writing and name someone to make decisions for them if they can't. Read power of attorney and advance directives.
Frequently asked questions
Does choosing hospice mean the family is giving up?
No. It means putting comfort and quality of life first. The person still gets medical care, pain medicine and visits from the team, and can leave hospice if they change their mind.
Can my dad keep seeing his usual doctor?
Yes, if he chooses that doctor as his attending doctor during hospice. The hospice team coordinates care with that doctor.
Does hospice pay for a caregiver 24 hours a day at home?
No. The team visits and gives support, but daily care is still up to the family or the care home. For caregiver hours, look into Medicaid or other help in home care for seniors and help for family caregivers.
This guide is for information only and is not medical or legal advice. Talk with your loved one's doctor about what's best for them.
Sources
- Medicare.gov, Hospice care: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/hospice-care (accessed October 15, 2026)
- Medicare.gov, Medicare Hospice Benefits booklet (02154): https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02154-medicare-hospice-benefits.pdf (accessed October 15, 2026)
- MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine), Palliative Care: https://medlineplus.gov/palliativecare.html (accessed October 15, 2026)
- Medicare.gov, Care Compare: https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/ (accessed October 15, 2026)
This is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice. Rules vary by state and by year: confirm with the official agency that applies to you.
Keep reading
What does Medicare cover?
Medicare pays for up to 100 days of rehab after a 3-day inpatient stay, not long-term nursing home care. 2026 costs, home health and hospice.
Power of attorney and directives
What a power of attorney, health care proxy, advance directive, and guardianship are in the U.S., when to prepare them, and forms in Spanish.
Respite care: how to take a few days off from caregiving
What respite care is, where it's offered, who can help pay for it (Medicaid, the VA, hospice), and how to ask for it without feeling guilty.
Hospital discharge
What to do when an older adult is discharged from the hospital: inpatient vs. observation, Medicare's 3-day rule, how to appeal and a 48-hour checklist.
