Hospice is an end of life, palliative care program furnished by an array of caregivers in various settings, including a person’s residence (which may be a private home, a nursing home, or assisted living facility), inpatient hospice facility, or a hospital.
Covered by a variety of third party payers, including Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Health Administration, and private insurance, hospice benefits are fundamentally different from other health care benefits that instead focus on diagnostic and curative treatment. With its acceptance and focus on the impending death of an individual, hospice care seeks to relieve pain and suffering— (i.e., ‘‘palliative care’’)— as well as address the emotional and spiritual needs of beneficiaries and their families during the final days or months of a terminal illness.