.png&w=256&q=75){kind=small}
Does Medicaid Cover Hospice Care at Home?
Date Updated: December 15, 2024
Written by:
Sarah has produced thousands of articles in diverse niches over her decade-long career as a full-time freelance writer. This includes substantial content in the fields of senior care and health care. She has experience writing about wide-ranging topics, such as types of care, care costs, funding options, state Medicaid programs and senior resources.
Reviewed by:
Kristi Bickmann, a licensed Long-Term Care Specialist, represents top-rated "Traditional" & "Hybrid" LTC companies. Serving associations such as the American Nurses Association, she's a licensed insurance agent in 27 states. Specializing in insurance products for seniors, Kristi helps hundreds of families every year protect assets, retirement, and loved ones. She understands aging concerns firsthand, having assisted her own parents. Kristi ensures accuracy on topics about senior long-term care and its consequences.
Yes, Medicaid covers hospice care at home in most states for qualifying individuals. The federal insurance program also covers a range of in-home services for older adults who choose to age in place and remain at home until the end of their lives.
Medicaid Hospice Coverage
Because national rules don’t oblige states to include hospice benefits in their Medicaid programs, regulations and coverage vary across the nation. However, as of 2021, most states include hospice care as an optional state plan. Eligibility criteria vary, but a physician must certify that an individual has a terminal condition, with hospice services medically necessary and reasonable. Some states have annual payment caps and benefit periods also vary among areas. Hospice coverage differs between states as well.
The benefit pays for services delivered in various settings, including a senior’s home, an assisted living community, a nursing home and a specialized hospice facility. According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, most individuals receive hospice care in the location they call home.
In-Home Hospice Services
Although exact Medicaid-covered services vary across the country, typical at-home hospice provisions include:
- Intermittent skilled nursing care to provide symptom relief and manage pain
- Physical, speech-language and occupational therapies to ease symptoms and enhance quality of life
- Home health care aide support, including help with personal care tasks and medication administration
- Home care services, including assistance with everyday tasks, such as housekeeping and meal preparation
- Companionship to reduce loneliness and isolation
- Physician oversight
- Medical devices and supplies
- Home modifications
- Nutritional guidance
- Counseling for individuals to boost emotional and mental well-being
- Bereavement counseling for families
- Family caregiver training and education
- Pastoral care to enhance spiritual wellness
- Short-term inpatient care
- Respite stays
Other Ways to Pay for Hospice Care at Home
Many in-home hospice patients qualify for funding through Medicare, with parts A and B covering end-of-life care. The VA hospice benefit funds services for qualifying individuals who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Many long-term care insurance policies include hospice coverage, although terms vary among providers and plans. Those who don’t qualify for financial assistance must pay for care using private means, such as from their income or savings. However, various charities, religious groups and nonprofit agencies offer financial assistance to medically needy seniors with limited resources.