Hospice 101

Private insurance almost always covers hospice, but not because federal law requires it the way Medicare does. Hospice isn't one of the ACA's required essential health benefits, so coverage details and limits vary by plan and state, and Medicare Advantage hands hospice off to Original Medicare entirely. Here's what actually differs, and why.

Home and inpatient hospice care are both covered by Medicare, but they're different levels of care with different costs and different rules. Here's what actually separates hospice care at home from inpatient facility care, what each level costs Medicare, and how families move between them when needs change.

Once you elect hospice care, a registered nurse must assess you within 48 hours, equipment and comfort medications typically arrive fast, and a 24/7 phone line is set up. Here's exactly what's required, what to expect, and what changes after those first two days.

Hospice can feel like a leap into the unknown, but Medicare covers far more than most families expect: nursing care, equipment, medication, therapy, counseling, even respite for caregivers, almost entirely free. Here's exactly what's included, what isn't, and what it actually costs.

Every hospice on Medicare's Care Compare carries two different quality scores, an HCI number out of 10 and a CAHPS star rating out of 5. They measure different things, and a missing star rating usually just means low survey volume, not poor care. Here's what each score covers, how to read them together, and where to find both on a Hospice Guidebook profile.

Hospice and palliative care get used interchangeably, but they aren't the same thing. Palliative care supports anyone with a serious illness, even alongside curative treatment. Hospice is a specific Medicare benefit for a six-month-or-less prognosis. Here's the real difference, sourced from Medicare.gov and CMS, plus how to check a hospice's quality once you've decided it's the right step.