Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Source: This content was published by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Read original articleSource: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2025
Understanding your Medicare hospice benefits can seem overwhelming, but it's one of the most comprehensive benefits Medicare offers. Here's everything you need to know for 2025.
You must meet ALL of these conditions:
1. Have Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance)
2. Doctor Certification - Your hospice doctor and your regular doctor (if you have one) certify that you're terminally ill with a life expectancy of 6 months or less if the disease runs its natural course
3. Accept Palliative Care - You accept comfort care instead of care to cure your illness
4. Choose Hospice - You sign a statement choosing hospice care instead of other Medicare-covered treatments for your terminal illness and related conditions
Important: You can still receive treatment for conditions unrelated to your terminal illness.
Medicare covers hospice care in benefit periods:
Initial Coverage:
Continued Coverage:
Recertification:
No Limit: As long as you remain eligible and your hospice physician recertifies your terminal illness, you can continue receiving hospice care.
Medical Services:
Medications:
Medical Equipment and Supplies:
Therapies:
Short-term Care:
Bereavement Services:
Good news: Medicare covers hospice care at 100% with minimal cost-sharing.
Your Out-of-Pocket Costs:
1. Medications: Up to $5 copayment per prescription for outpatient drugs for pain and symptom management
2. Respite Care: 5% of the Medicare-approved amount for inpatient respite care (temporary care to give caregivers a break)
- Example: If Medicare approves $200/day for respite care, you pay $10/day
3. Everything Else: $0 - No copays, coinsurance, or deductibles
For hospice providers (this affects overall availability and quality):
- FY 2025 hospice payment update: 2.9% increase
- Estimated $790 million increase in total payments from FY 2024
What this means for patients: More sustainable reimbursement helps hospices maintain quality staffing and services.
Medicare covers hospice care in various locations:
1. Your Home (most common - about 70% of patients)
2. Hospice inpatient facility
3. Hospital (for short-term symptom management)
4. Nursing home or skilled nursing facility
5. Assisted living facility
6. Anywhere you call home
The location doesn't change your coverage - Medicare still covers 100% of hospice services.
If you're in a Medicare Advantage Plan:
Once you elect hospice care:
Important: Your Medicare Advantage Plan must still allow you access to hospice providers and services.
You can:
1. Revoke hospice at any time and return to curative treatment
2. Re-enroll in hospice later if you choose
3. Change hospice providers if you're dissatisfied
4. Take a break from hospice and come back
There's no penalty for changing your mind or switching providers.
1. Talk to your doctor about hospice eligibility
- Discuss your prognosis and goals
- Get certification of terminal illness
2. Choose a Medicare-approved hospice
- Check Medicare.gov for approved providers in your area
- Interview multiple hospices
- Ask about services, staffing, and availability
3. Sign the hospice election statement
- Indicates you choose hospice care over curative treatment
- Specifies which hospice you've selected
- Identifies your attending physician (if you have one)
4. Create your care plan
- Hospice team works with you and family
- Customized to your needs and goals
- Regularly updated as needs change
The FY 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update includes:
Quality Reporting Program Requirements:
Conditions of Participation Updates:
Stay informed: Changes will be finalized in summer 2025 for implementation October 1, 2025.
Yes! You can continue seeing your attending physician. Medicare covers these visits as they relate to your hospice care.
You can continue hospice care as long as:
Many patients live longer than initially expected, and that's okay.
Yes, but:
Medicare hospice covers:
Check with your specific hospice about available services.
You have the right to:
If your rights are violated, contact:
Medicare Resources:
- Medicare Hotline: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
- Medicare Website: medicare.gov/coverage/hospice-care
- Medicare Booklet: Request "Medicare Hospice Benefits" (Publication 02154)
Advocacy Organizations:
- Center for Medicare Advocacy: medicareadvocacy.org
- Medicare Rights Center: medicarerights.org
- National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization: nhpco.org
State Resources:
- State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP): Free local counseling
If you think hospice might be appropriate:
1. Start the conversation with your doctor today
2. Request information from local hospices
3. Review your Medicare coverage to confirm Part A enrollment
4. Talk with family about your wishes and goals
5. Don't wait - earlier hospice enrollment improves quality of life
Medicare's hospice benefit is comprehensive, compassionate, and designed to support both patients and families through end-of-life care. Understanding your coverage can help you make informed decisions and access the care you deserve.
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Sources: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Federal Register, Medicare.gov, Center for Medicare Advocacy
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