Author: Andrea Miller
Reviewed By: Kristi Bickmann
Medicare covers some palliative care in assisted living facilities. However, it doesn’t cover nonmedical services within assisted living or palliative care, such as help with daily activities and emotional support.
Palliative care focuses on relieving the symptoms and stress of serious illnesses. You can receive palliative care along with your health care team’s recommended disease treatment plan. Palliative care addresses your spiritual and emotional well-being along with the physical to improve your quality of life with a serious illness.
You or a loved one may benefit from palliative care to improve the quality of life with a serious chronic illness. Unlike hospice, palliative care doesn’t require the individual to have a terminal diagnosis. You can receive palliative care and treatments aimed at curing your illness at the same time.
Your Medicare plan may pay for a consultation with a palliative care provider. You can also receive coverage for medication management and coordination. If you have a prescription drug plan through Medicare Part D, it can pay for medications prescribed by your palliative care provider.
Medicaid covers many aspects of palliative care for low-income individuals, including services received at assisted living facilities. You can learn more about qualifying for this type of program, called a waiver, through your state Medicaid office. Private insurance plans may also include coverage for palliative care, so review your policy documents carefully if you have private health or long-term care insurance.
