★ America's Trusted Toll-Free Number📞 1-800-MEDIGAP
1-800-MEDIGAP📞 Call 1-800-633-4427

Does Medicare Cover Hospice?

Medicare pays for hospice services, medications, equipment, and family support at no cost to most eligible seniors.

📞 Call 1-800-633-4427 — FreeAmerica's Trusted Toll-Free Number
A comforting gesture as a hand holds another in a hospital setting, symbolizing care and support, illustrating Does Medicare Cover Hospice? — 1-800-MEDIGAP, America's Trusted Toll-Free Number.
Photo: Kampus Production / Pexels
Quick answer

Yes. Medicare Part A covers hospice care fully for patients certified terminally ill with 6 months or less to live who choose comfort care. You pay no deductible, just up to $5 per symptom-relief prescription and 5% for respite care, per Medicare.gov.

If you or a loved one is facing a terminal illness, Medicare's hospice benefit is designed to remove the financial burden of comfort care.

What hospice services does Medicare cover?

Medicare covers a complete package of hospice services tied to your terminal illness: physician and nursing care, hospice aides, medical equipment and supplies, prescription drugs for pain and symptoms, physical and occupational therapy, social work, dietary counseling, short-term inpatient and respite care, and bereavement support for your family. A coordinated hospice team delivers this care wherever you live, whether that's home, a nursing facility, or an assisted living community. You pay nothing for these covered services under original Medicare, with the only exceptions being up to $5 per outpatient drug for symptom control and 5% coinsurance for inpatient respite care.

What does Medicare hospice NOT cover?

Medicare's hospice benefit does not pay for treatment intended to cure your terminal illness, since hospice focuses on comfort. It also doesn't cover room and board if you live in a nursing home or assisted living facility, prescription drugs unrelated to your terminal condition through the hospice benefit, or care from a hospice provider you arranged without your team's coordination. Care for health issues unrelated to your terminal illness is still covered by your regular Medicare. A Medigap plan can help with those separate costs, call 1-800-MEDIGAP to learn how.

How do Medigap and hospice work together?

Original Medicare covers the bulk of hospice care, but all standardized Medigap plans cover the Part A hospice coinsurance, including those small prescription and respite charges. Just as important, your Medigap policy continues to help with deductibles and coinsurance for care unrelated to your terminal illness, like an injury or a separate chronic condition. This keeps your overall out-of-pocket costs predictable during an already difficult time. To see how your specific Medigap plan coordinates with the hospice benefit, call 1-800-MEDIGAP and speak with a licensed specialist.

More on Hospice & Palliative Care

← Hospice & Palliative Care (overview)pillar guideHospice Care CostThe 4 Levels of Hospice CareHow to Choose a Hospice ProviderHospice Care Near MeHospice Care at HomeWhat Is Hospice Care?Who Pays for Hospice Care?

Frequently asked questions

Does Medicare cover hospice at home?+

Yes. Routine home care is the most common level of Medicare hospice, and the hospice team comes to wherever you call home, including a private residence, nursing home, or assisted living. Medicare covers these visits, medications, and equipment with no cost-sharing beyond small drug and respite charges.

Is there a copay for Medicare hospice?+

There is no deductible or general copay for Medicare hospice. The only out-of-pocket costs are up to $5 for each outpatient prescription used for pain or symptom relief and 5% of the Medicare-approved amount for inpatient respite care, according to Medicare.gov.

Does Medicare cover hospice for dementia or Alzheimer's?+

Yes, if the patient meets eligibility criteria. A doctor must certify the patient has a terminal prognosis of about 6 months or less. Advanced dementia and Alzheimer's can qualify when the disease has progressed to that stage, and Medicare then covers the full hospice benefit.

How quickly can hospice start after I qualify?+

Hospice can often begin within 24 to 48 hours of your election. Once your doctor and the hospice medical director certify eligibility and you sign the consent form, the team creates a care plan and starts services quickly, sometimes the same day in urgent situations.

Do I need a Medigap plan if I'm on hospice?+

Medicare covers most hospice costs, but a Medigap plan helps with the hospice coinsurance and, crucially, costs for conditions unrelated to your terminal illness. Many families keep Medigap for that protection. Call 1-800-MEDIGAP to review whether your plan still fits your needs.

Talk to a licensed specialist — free.

America's Trusted Toll-Free Number. One call answers it all, at no cost and no obligation.

📞 Call 1-800-MEDIGAP
Does Medicare Cover Hospice? 1-800-MEDIGAP