Full Definition

The Medicare Hospice Benefit is one of the most comprehensive — and most underutilized — benefits in Medicare. It covers: physician and nurse visits, all medications related to the terminal condition, durable medical equipment, home health aide support, social work counseling, chaplaincy and spiritual care, short-term inpatient care for acute symptom management, up to 5 days of inpatient respite care per benefit period, and bereavement support for the family for 13 months after the patient’s death.

Patients must elect the hospice benefit and forgo Medicare coverage for curative treatment of the terminal condition. However, Medicare continues to cover treatment for unrelated conditions. Patients may also leave hospice (revoke the benefit) and return to standard Medicare coverage if they choose to pursue curative treatment again.

Hospice can be provided at home, in assisted living, in a SNF, or at an inpatient hospice facility. In Texas, most major hospice organizations can serve patients in any setting.