Hospice and Medicare Benefits

Abstract

Hospice care is based on a holistic philosophy that considers the physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of care for dying patients and their families. It is a family-centered approach and promotes death with dignity. The rapid growth of the hospice movement was in response to dissatisfaction with the care of the terminally ill and demands for death with dignity. Public support for the hospice was so strong that just 8 years after the first hospice was founded, it became a benefit under Medicare. The Medicare hospice benefit emphasizes home care and has shifted the burden of care to families. The restrictive nature of Medicare hospice rules influences who is eligible for hospice care. The Medicare benefit is not congruent with the holistic philosophy of hospice.