Someone's in the hospital or seriously ill
Palliative care or hospice — what's the difference?
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Palliative care eases symptoms at any stage and can run alongside treatment. Hospice is comfort care when a doctor expects six months or less and the focus has moved from cure to comfort.
What to do
- Ask the care team for a palliative care consultation. You do not need to be near the end of life to get one.
- Ask what each kind of care would provide: symptom relief, home visits, equipment, and support for the family.
- Ask the doctor directly whether hospice would be appropriate now, and what to expect as the illness goes on.
- Check how your plan covers palliative care. Medicare covers hospice under Part A once the doctors certify eligibility and you choose it, and you can stop hospice and return later.
What to say
Can we have a palliative care consultation? And I'd like to understand honestly what to expect over the next few months.
Ask early. Palliative care works best when it starts before a crisis.
What to watch out for
Every situation is differentIf you’d like a second pair of eyes on yours, book a free 15-minute call.
Treating palliative care as giving up, and putting it off. Starting late can mean missing much of the support both kinds of care offer.
Better done together
We’re here to help
Palliative care and hospice are often confused, and the difference matters for comfort, treatment and coverage. We help you understand both, and prepare the questions for the care team, so your family's wishes come first.
Every situation is different, and these are sensitive moments, so we look at yours with care. We often see what others miss, and we never take commissions from insurance companies: the only thing we are working for is what is right for you.
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The rule behind it
Under Medicare, hospice is covered when your doctor and the hospice doctor certify a life expectancy of 6 months or less if the illness runs its normal course, and you choose comfort care instead of treatment to cure it. Care continues in renewable benefit periods, and you can stop hospice and return later if you are eligible. Palliative care can start at any stage of an illness, alongside treatment, and is usually billed like other medical care, through Part B or your plan.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Hospice care
- Medicare.gov — Medicare Hospice Benefits booklet
- MedlinePlus (NIH) — Palliative care
- Your plan's Evidence of Coverage
Amanda Alcodia
Education, not medical, legal or insurance advice.
Useful next steps
Start with the free Kit. If your situation needs a person, the intro call is free too.