What hospice covers
Once you sign a hospice election statement, Medicare pays a Medicare-approved hospice for the care related to your terminal illness, wherever you live: at home, in a nursing home or adult foster home, or in an inpatient hospice unit. Covered services include:
- Visits from doctors, nurses and hospice aides, with nursing help on call around the clock.
- Medical equipment and supplies such as a hospital bed, wheelchair or oxygen.
- Drugs for pain and symptom control.
- Social work, spiritual care, and grief counseling for you and your family.
- Physical, occupational and speech therapy, and dietary counseling.
- Short-term inpatient care for pain or symptoms, and inpatient respite care so a family caregiver can rest.
What you pay
| Item | Your cost |
|---|---|
| Hospice care for the terminal illness | Nothing |
| Outpatient drugs for pain and symptoms | A small copayment per prescription |
| Inpatient respite care | 5% of the Medicare-approved amount, never more than the Part A deductible ($1,736 in 2026) |
| Room and board where you live | Not covered by Medicare |
| Care for unrelated conditions | Usual Medicare deductibles and coinsurance |
How long hospice lasts
Hospice comes in two 90-day benefit periods, then an unlimited number of 60-day periods. A hospice doctor recertifies at the start of each period that you're still terminally ill. You can keep your regular doctor or nurse practitioner as your attending clinician, change hospices once per benefit period, and stop hospice at any time.
If you have Medicare Advantage
From 2021 through 2024, CMS tested a model in which some Medicare Advantage plans paid for hospice. CMS ended that test on December 31, 2024. Since January 1, 2025, Original Medicare pays for hospice for Medicare Advantage members too. Your plan still covers care unrelated to the terminal illness.
Hospice in Oregon
Many Oregonians pair hospice with a POLST form, which turns treatment wishes into medical orders that emergency crews follow. Under Oregon's Death with Dignity Act, doctors must tell patients about alternatives such as hospice, and the Oregon Health Authority reports that 92% of people who died under the Act in 2025 were enrolled in hospice. For questions about your Medicare coverage you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048). More in our guide to end-of-life care and Medicare in Oregon.
Related questions
Can I use Death with Dignity while on hospice?
How the two fit together.
What is a POLST form in Oregon?
Medical orders for serious illness.
How do I make an advance directive in Oregon?
Oregon's form, step by step.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Hospice care
- CMS — The future of the Hospice Benefit Component of the VBID Model
- Medicare.gov — Care Compare
- Oregon Health Authority — Death with Dignity Act prescriptions continued to rise in 2025
More questions in this guide
- Can I use Death with Dignity while on hospice in Oregon?
- Does Medicare pay for Death with Dignity in Oregon?
- How do I make an advance directive in Oregon?
- What is a POLST form in Oregon?
Part of the guide: End-of-Life Medicare in Oregon · All questions
Frequently asked questions
Does hospice mean I'm giving up?
No. Hospice means choosing comfort care for the terminal illness. Medicare still covers care for unrelated conditions, and you can stop hospice and go back to curative treatment at any time.
What if my doctor hasn't mentioned hospice?
You can ask your doctor for a hospice referral or contact a Medicare-approved hospice yourself to ask for an evaluation. You can compare hospices with Medicare.gov's Care Compare tool.
Can I have hospice while I'm on a Medicare Advantage plan?
Yes. You don't have to leave your plan. Original Medicare pays the hospice for care related to your terminal illness, and your plan can still cover care for unrelated conditions.
Does Medicare pay room and board in a nursing home during hospice?
No. The hospice team's care is covered wherever you live, but Medicare doesn't pay room and board at home, in a nursing home or in an assisted living facility.
Medicare in your Oregon county
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