Hospice and palliative care also differ is now how insurance benefits are paid and approved.
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What Is Palliative Care?
Palliative care can be arranged as soon as you are diagnosed with a serious illness.
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Is Palliative Care a Step Before Hospice?
Palliative care can sometimes advance to hospice care if your condition worsens and there is no hope of improvement.
Conditions Benefiting From Palliative Care
Many medical conditions qualify for palliative care.
Insurance coverage can vary, with some providers covering certain conditions and others not.
Palliative care can be delivered irrespective of life expectancy.
On the flip side, having an end-stage disease doesn’t automatically mean you need hospice care.
If your intention is to pursue life-extending treatment, palliative care can be pursued.
What Is Hospice?
Hospice care is a form of palliative care.
Hospice focuses more on quality than quantity of life.
Some people may live longer, but that generally means months and not years.
Here is a snapshot of the key differences:
Who Is Eligible?
Eligibility for palliative care depends on your insurance coverage.
Most serious or life-threatening conditions will qualify for coverage.
Can I Leave Hospice?
you’re able to opt to sign up again if you so choose.
Who Provides Care?
Withoutprior authorization, the treatment may not be covered by your insurance.
Medicare covers palliative care under thePart B benefit.
you’re able to expect to pay a 20% coinsurance for each service you receive.
Hospice benefits may or may not be offered by private insurance plans.
Hospice pays for all care related to your terminal condition, including hospitalizations.
That may need to be paid out of pocket.
What Is Respite Care?
Respite careis included as a hospice benefit to provide caregivers with a period of relief from their duties.
Respite care must be approved by the hospice team and can be requested on an as-needed basis.
How Long Can a Person Receive Care?
Hospice, however, can only continue as long as your condition is reported to be terminal.
You could live much longer than that.
Your condition and overall health are likely to improve from the added services.
The decision to enroll in hospice care can be more difficult to navigate, both personally and emotionally.
Those realities alone can take time to come to terms with.
There is no right or wrong answer.
Speaking with family, loved ones, or spiritual leaders may help you make these complicated decisions.
If you are making this decision for a loved one, be respectful of their wishes.
Summary
Palliative care and hospice care are not the same thing.
In both cases, a care team will provide services to improve symptoms and quality of life.
National Institute on Aging.What are palliative care and hospice care?
International Association of Hospice & Palliative Care.Guidelines and suggestions for those starting a hospice/palliative care service.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.Hospice.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.Medicare hospice benefits.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.Medicare benefit policy manual.
Department of Veterans Affairs.Hospice care.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.Hospice benefits.
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.NHPCO facts and figures 2022.
