How Much Does Hospice Care Cost on Average?
We never anticipate the death of our loved ones, but it’s inevitably a part of aging. If you’ve received a terminal diagnosis and are looking for the next step, hospice care could be the best option for you and your family. In fact, while it’s not often talked about, just over half of Medicare beneficiaries received hospice care in 2018.
Learn more about the benefits that Medicare insurance St George Utah offers along with of hospice care and find out exactly how much does hospice care cost with our complete guide below.
What Is Hospice Care?
Hospice care refers to a special type of medical care that helps patients with a terminal illness live as fully and comfortably as possible. Hospice care services differ from the usual medical care because once a person enters hospice, they no longer receive treatment to cure their condition. Medical professionals will instead focus on providing relief from their symptoms.
The Benefits of Hospice Care
Hospice is not just a place to go when you’re ready to die. It’s more about lending emotional support, providing pain management, and offering spiritual resources and therapies for patients and their families as they enter their last stage of life.
Some of the main benefits of hospice care include:
- Education for the patient, family members, and caregiver
- Assistance with day-to-day care
- Opportunities for respite care
- Long-term grief support
Enrolling in hospice care early has also been shown to help prolong the survival of the patient. Instead of battling through treatment, patients who receive hospice care early experience better management of symptoms, which can lead to the stabilization of their condition.
How Much Does Hospice Care Cost?
People researching hospice often ask “How much is hospice care?” because it’s a difficult topic to broach for some. This ultimate guide aims to lay it all out for you.
While the cost obviously shouldn’t be the focal point, it is a very important consideration when deciding if hospice care is right for you.
The average hospice care prices are usually around $150 per day for home care and up to $500 for inpatient care. Depending on the level of care needed, the cost of hospice care can run up to $10,000 per month.
Private insurance and Medicare often pick up a large part of the cost for the majority of patients, but if neither of those is an option for you, you may be able to receive hospice benefits through Medicaid. Medicaid is a government health insurance program that covers hospice care in most states for low-income households.
Is Hospice Care Your Best Choice?
At some point, you won’t be able to continue treating a serious illness whether the outcome is terminal or the patient no longer wants to undergo treatment. Hospice care isn’t the end of the road, but it does make what’s left much more comfortable.
Now that you’ve answered “How much does hospice care cost?”, you can continue to read similar articles in our Lifestyle section.