.png&w=256&q=75){kind=small}
Is Palliative Care at Home Free?
Date Updated: February 3, 2025
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.
No, palliative care at home is not free. Because such care may include curative treatments and life-sustaining therapies alongside comprehensive comfort care measures, it typically costs even more than in-home hospice care — which can cost thousands of dollars per month. Public funding may reduce some of the financial burden.
Medicare Coverage of At-Home Palliative Care
Medicare covers various aspects of palliative care through its different parts, but the program has no explicit provisions for palliative care. While the Medicare hospice benefit covers palliative care for qualifying individuals receiving end-of-life care, individuals who don’t meet the hospice criteria — including terminal diagnosis and six-month life expectancy — may still qualify for aspects of in-home comfort care.
Home health agencies provide palliative care services, including intermittent skilled nursing and therapies, to homebound individuals. Coverage and co-payments vary depending on individual circumstances.
Medicaid Coverage of Palliative Care
As with Medicare, most state Medicaid plans don't specifically cover palliative care but pay for some services under other programs. In June 2024, Hawaii became the first state nationwide to include palliative care coverage in its state Medicaid plan. As of July 2024, it remains the only U.S. state to do so.
Individuals with a terminal illness and a maximum life expectancy of six months, as certified by a physician, may qualify for state-optional hospice benefits, which include palliative care. Those with serious conditions but who don’t meet these strict criteria or don't yet need end-of-life care may qualify for funding for home health care services under traditional state plans. Eligibility criteria include limited financial resources and functional medical needs.
Other Ways to Pay for Palliative Care
The VA includes palliative care within its VA Standard Medical Benefits Package, meaning all enrolled veterans who meet medical criteria qualify for support. Many long-term care insurance policies cover palliative care; policyholders should check their exact coverage with their insurance providers. Other options include:
- Using private funds
- Taking out a reverse mortgage
- Cashing in life insurance policies
- Seeking charitable assistance