What is the Difference Between Palliative and Hospice Care?
While the hospice care philosophy incorporates palliative care practices, there are a few key differences that distinguish hospice care and palliative care from one another.
Treatment
Hospice care is designed to provide optimal care and comfort -- physically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially -- for those who have a terminal illness, often defined by a life expectancy of less than 6 months. Hospice seeks to improve the quality of the remaining time your loved one has, rather than seeking curative or life-prolonging measures.
Palliative care can be provided for any person with a serious illness, regardless of whether the illness is terminal or non-terminal. Palliative care can be introduced into your loved one’s care regimen no matter what stage the illness is in and can be incorporated alongside curative and life-prolonging treatments.
Eligibility
To qualify for hospice care, your loved one must meet a series of requirements to determine eligibility. Your loved one must:
Have a primary care physician and hospice medical director certify a reduced life expectancy.
State acceptance of comfort care measures and not pursue curative treatments.
Formally elect to pursue hospice care with a specific organization.
To begin receiving palliative care, your loved one can simply request a palliative care referral from a physician at any stage of the illness.
Care Location
Hospice care is a holistic care philosophy -- not a place. If your loved one lives with you, independently at home, at a nursing home, or at a care facility, your loved one can receive the team-based, whole person-focused care of hospice no matter where they call home. Hospice also works closely with your loved one’s current physician, allowing your loved one to continue receiving care from the doctors with whom they already have a close relationship.
While palliative care can be received at home, palliative care is often administered in a hospital setting, outpatient clinic, or extended care facility that is associated with palliative care. Palliative care, like hospice, works with your loved one’s current physician in order to provide you with pain and symptom relief.
Payment Options
While many payment methods exist for covering the costs of hospice care, hospice care is often affordable, with costs being primarily covered by the federal Medicare hospice benefit program. Hospice care costs can also be covered by your loved one’s state Medicaid program or private insurance policy.
Palliative care, being most often administered by your loved one’s regular medical provider, is most commonly paid for by private medical insurance; however, Medicare Part B and some state Medicaid programs can also offer coverage for forms of palliative treatment. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of your loved one’s payment options concerning palliative care, contact your loved one’s insurance provider and palliative care provider prior to receiving any care services.
