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Dear Toni,

As a certified case manager and critical care unit RN, I advise adult children who are seeking help for a parent or spouse who is having end-of-life issues. Those who have serious health care issues should be offered every option for proper planning with end-of-life care, especially hospice!

Can you explain hospice and respite care to your readers? I am sure this will help those who are seeking assistance for their frail loved ones while allowing the caregiver some well-needed rest. Thanks in advance, Toni.

—Deidre from Tulsa, Okla.

Deidre:

Hospice is a subject no one wants to discuss with an elderly loved one. When a loved one is terminally ill, the illness takes an emotional toll on the caregiver and the family as well as on the patient.

Many wait too long to discuss hospice benefits with the patient’s doctor because they believe hospice is for the last days to help their loved one die peacefully. They are not aware that hospice can give hope along this journey with education, medication to manage symptoms, support to the patient and family, and counseling services for the patient, family members and caregivers.

Health care professionals in the hospice system consist of physicians, nurses, social workers, spiritual counselors, certified nursing assistants and volunteers. A hospice provider comes to where the patient lives to provide the care.

The 2026 Medicare & You handbook explains what hospice is in Medicare terms and what Medicare covers for hospice under Part A of Medicare. A doctor who orders hospice must certify that a patient is terminally ill and has six months or less to live. When a patient agrees to hospice care, they agree to comfort care (palliative care) instead of treatment to cure the illness and must sign a statement choosing hospice care instead of other Medicare-covered treatments for the terminal illness.

Hospice can be recertified every six months by a hospice medical director or hospice doctor if the patient continues to meet qualifications for the terminally ill. Original Medicare will be billed for the hospice care.

Hospice will cover all medical care for terminal illness, and Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan will pay for health problems that are not related to the terminal illness (co-pays will apply). Medicare-certified hospice care is usually given in the home or other facility, like a nursing or personal care home. More on hospice is explained in chapter 2 of Toni’s Medicare Survival Guide Advanced edition.

—Nothing for hospice care (Medicare pays).

—Co-payment of up to $5 per prescription for outpatient drugs for pain and symptom management.

—Five percent of the Medicare-approved amount for inpatient respite care for the beneficiary.

—Caregiver relief and support: you pay nothing for Medicare-approved inpatient respite care, which gives your caregiver (a family member or friend) a period of rest of up to 5 days.

Talk with a geriatric case manager or geriatric doctor if you have concerns or need advice about your loved one’s terminal health care issue. On Thursday, Nov. 20, at 4 p.m. CST, Toni will host a “2026 Confused About Medicare” Zoom online workshop to explain Medicare and hospice issues as well as the changes for 2026 Medicare’s Part D Prescription Drug plans. Visit www.tonisays.com to register for the online event.

Three years ago, my mother, Jeanette, was diagnosed with dementia that qualified her for hospice, and she passed away peacefully. I, Toni King, experienced everything that hospice offered. Hospice is truly a blessing for those who have a terminally ill loved one. Email me at info@tonisays.com or call 832-519-8664 with hospice or Medicare questions you, friends or family members may have.

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Toni King is an author and columnist on Medicare, Social Security and long-term care issues. She has spent nearly 30 years as a top sales leader in the field. If you have a Medicare question, email info@tonisays.com or call 832-519-8664. Sign up for the Toni Says newsletter at www.tonisays.com to keep up to date on Medicare changes.

©2025 Toni King. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Copyright 2025 Toni King, Distributed by Counterpoint Media