Palliative care is patient and family-centered care that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing, and treating suffering. Palliative care throughout the continuum of illness involves addressing physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual needs and to facilitate patient autonomy, access to information and choice.
An important point to remember is that all hospice care is also palliative care but not all palliative care is hospice care. Palliative Care is available for ALL patients wherever they are in their illness journey.
Palliative care is covered through Medicare Part B. Some treatments and medications may not be covered. Some may be subject to co-pays according to the plan.
Likewise, palliative care is covered through Medicaid. Just like Medicare, some treatments and medications may not be covered and may be subject to co-pays according to plan.
Most private insurers include palliative care as a covered service. Each payer is different and their palliative services will be outlined through the insurer’s member benefits. Some treatments and medications may not be covered. Co-payments differ according to plan design.
Follow this link to a side by side comparison of Palliative and Hospice Care published by the National Association for Hospice and Palliative Care: