Does Medicare Cover Hospice Care? Eligibility, Costs and Limits
Reviewed September 30, 2026. Yes, Medicare covers hospice care under Part A. If your hospice doctor and your regular doctor certify that you’re terminally ill with a life expectancy of 6 months or less, and you choose comfort care instead of treatment to cure the illness, you pay nothing for hospice services from a Medicare-approved provider. You may pay up to $5 per prescription for symptom and pain drugs and 5% of the Medicare-approved amount for inpatient respite care.
Quick answer: Medicare covers hospice for as long as you remain eligible: two 90-day benefit periods, followed by an unlimited number of 60-day benefit periods. Most hospice care is given at home, and Medicare does not pay room and board in a nursing home or assisted living facility.
Who is eligible for the Medicare hospice benefit?
Medicare.gov lists these conditions. You must:
- Have Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance)
- Have 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 illness runs its normal course
- Accept comfort care (palliative care) instead of care to cure your illness
- Sign a statement choosing hospice care instead of other Medicare-covered treatments for your terminal illness and related conditions
What does Medicare cover in hospice?
The hospice benefit covers the care you need for your terminal illness and related conditions, arranged by the hospice team. This typically includes:
- Doctor and nursing services
- Medical equipment, such as a hospital bed or wheelchair, and supplies
- Drugs for pain relief and symptom control
- Hospice aide and homemaker services
- Physical, occupational and speech-language therapy
- Social work services, dietary counseling and spiritual counseling
- Grief and loss counseling for you and your family
- Short-term inpatient care for pain and symptom management
- Short-term inpatient respite care so your usual caregiver can rest
Medicare still covers care for health problems that are not related to your terminal illness, under the normal rules of Original Medicare.
What Medicare doesn’t cover in hospice
- Treatment or prescription drugs meant to cure your terminal illness or related conditions
- Care from a hospice provider that wasn’t set up by your hospice team (you can still see your regular doctor if you choose them as your attending medical professional)
- Room and board, whether you live at home, in a nursing home or in a hospice residential facility
- Hospital outpatient or inpatient care and ambulance transportation, unless the hospice team arranges it or it’s unrelated to your terminal illness
How much does hospice cost with Medicare?
| Service | What you pay with Original Medicare |
|---|---|
| Hospice care from a Medicare-approved provider | $0 |
| Outpatient drugs for pain and symptom management | Up to $5 per prescription |
| Inpatient respite care | 5% of the Medicare-approved amount |
| Room and board at home or in a facility | You pay (Medicaid or long-term care insurance may help) |
| Care unrelated to the terminal illness | Normal Part A and Part B cost-sharing |
Source: Medicare.gov: Hospice care. For comparison, a 2026 inpatient hospital stay carries a $1,736 Part A deductible (CMS), which you don’t pay for hospice services.
How long does Medicare cover hospice care?
Medicare covers hospice in benefit periods: “two 90-day benefit periods, followed by an unlimited number of 60-day benefit periods.” At the start of each period, the hospice doctor recertifies that you’re still terminally ill. There is no fixed lifetime limit, so hospice can continue beyond 6 months if you continue to meet the eligibility rules.
You can stop hospice care at any time if you decide to pursue curative treatment again. You can go back to hospice later if you still qualify.
Where you can receive hospice care
Most people receive hospice where they live, such as a private home, a relative’s home, a nursing home or an assisted living community. Short-term inpatient care in a Medicare-approved facility is covered when the hospice team decides you need it for pain or symptom control, or for respite. If you’re considering care at home, our guides to Medicare coverage for in-home nursing and homebound status explain how home health differs from hospice.
Hospice with Medicare Advantage or Medigap
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, Original Medicare pays the hospice provider for your hospice care, not your plan. You can use any Medicare-approved hospice. Your Medicare Advantage plan can continue to cover services unrelated to your terminal illness and any extra benefits it offers, as long as you stay enrolled and pay any plan premium.
If you have a Medigap policy, it can help pay the small hospice drug copayments and respite coinsurance, depending on the plan. See what Medigap plans cover.
Hospice vs. palliative care
Palliative care focuses on comfort and quality of life and can be given at any stage of a serious illness, alongside curative treatment. Hospice is a type of palliative care for people who are terminally ill and have chosen to stop curative treatment. Palliative care outside hospice is covered under your regular Part A and Part B benefits, with normal cost-sharing.
How to start hospice care
- Talk with your doctor about whether you meet the hospice criteria.
- Choose a Medicare-approved hospice provider. You can compare providers with Medicare’s Care Compare tool.
- The hospice team meets with you and your family to create a plan of care.
- Sign the hospice election statement.
- Keep your Medicare card, or your plan card if you have Medicare Advantage, handy for services unrelated to hospice. If it’s lost, see how to get a replacement Medicare card.
Frequently asked questions
Does Medicare cover hospice care?
Yes. Part A covers hospice for people with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of 6 months or less who choose comfort care. You pay nothing for hospice services from a Medicare-approved provider.
How long does Medicare cover hospice?
For two 90-day benefit periods, then an unlimited number of 60-day periods, as long as a doctor recertifies that you’re terminally ill.
Does Medicare cover hospice care at home?
Yes. Most hospice care is provided at home. Medicare covers the hospice services, but not room and board.
Does Medicare pay for hospice in a nursing home?
Medicare covers the hospice services you receive in a nursing home, but it does not pay the nursing home’s room and board charges. Medicaid may help with those costs if you qualify.
Can I keep my regular doctor in hospice?
Yes, if you choose your regular doctor as your attending medical professional and they agree to work with the hospice team.
What happens if I live longer than 6 months in hospice?
You can keep receiving hospice care as long as the hospice doctor recertifies that you’re terminally ill at the start of each benefit period.
This article is general information, not medical or individual insurance advice. Medicare365 is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.