Palliative care relieves symptoms and supports people with any serious illness, at any stage, and it can go alongside treatment meant to cure the illness. Hospice is a specific type of palliative care for the final months of life, when a doctor believes the person has six months or less to live and attempts to cure the illness have stopped (National Institute on Aging).
Side by side
| Palliative care | Hospice | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Anyone with a serious illness, such as heart failure, COPD, cancer, dementia or Parkinson's disease | A person with a serious illness whose doctor believes they have six months or less to live |
| When it starts | As early as diagnosis, or later in the illness | In the final weeks or months of life |
| Curative treatment | Can continue, if the person wishes | Stops. Only symptom relief and comfort care for the terminal illness |
| Symptom relief | Yes, as much as possible | Yes, as much as possible |
| Where | Hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, or at home | At home, or in a facility such as a nursing home, hospital or hospice center |
| Team | Palliative specialist doctors and nurses, plus others such as social workers, nutritionists and chaplains | Nurses, doctors, social workers, spiritual advisors and trained volunteers. Someone is usually reachable by phone 24 hours a day |
| Medicare | Depends on your benefits and treatment plan | Covered by Part A for people who qualify. You pay $0 for covered hospice services from a Medicare-approved provider (Medicare.gov) |
Comparison based on the National Institute on Aging's guide to palliative and hospice care (National Institute on Aging).
What palliative care does
Palliative care focuses on quality of life for the person and their care partners. Its main parts are managing symptoms well and keeping care coordinated. A team of different professionals works with the patient and family to make sure the treatment plan reflects the person's goals and values. It can also include advance care planning, end-of-life care and support after a death (National Institute on Aging).
Medicare, Medicaid and insurance policies may cover palliative care, and veterans may be eligible through the VA. Private insurers can tell you what they will pay for (National Institute on Aging).
What changes with hospice
In hospice, the goal moves from curing the illness to comfort and support for the person and family. Under Medicare, a person qualifies when their hospice doctor and regular doctor (if they have one) certify a life expectancy of six months or less, and the person signs a statement choosing comfort care instead of treatment to cure the illness (Medicare.gov). See The Medicare hospice benefit for what it pays and what it stops paying.
Medicare does not pay room and board during hospice, whether the person lives at home, in a nursing home or in a hospice inpatient facility, except for short inpatient or respite stays arranged by the hospice team (Medicare.gov). Families often miss this.
Questions to ask the doctor
- Is palliative care available alongside my parent's current treatment? Who can refer us?
- Would my parent qualify for hospice now? If not, what would change that?
- What treatments would stop under hospice, and which would continue?
- Which hospice providers in our area are Medicare-approved?
Only your parent's doctors can judge prognosis and treatment. This guide explains how the two kinds of care are organized. It cannot tell you which is right for your parent.
Common questions
Does choosing hospice mean giving up all treatment?
No. Treatment aimed at curing the terminal illness stops, but other care can continue when it helps. For example, a person with cancer who stops chemotherapy can keep taking medicine for high blood pressure.
Can someone leave hospice?
Yes. Choosing hospice does not have to be permanent. A person can stop hospice care to try treatment again and can return to hospice later if they still qualify.
Who starts palliative care?
Usually the person's health care provider refers them to a palliative care specialist. If the provider does not bring it up, the person or family can ask for a referral.
Is hospice only at the very end?
Hospice is for people whose doctor believes they have six months or less to live if the illness runs its natural course. The National Institute on Aging notes that some people start too late to get its full benefit, so it is worth asking the doctor early.
Related guides
Sources
- What Are Palliative Care and Hospice Care?, National Institute on Aging (NIH). Checked November 8, 2026.
- Hospice care, Medicare.gov. Checked November 8, 2026.
This guide explains general rules. It is not medical, legal or financial advice for your situation. Program rules and amounts change, usually each January (Medicare and Medicaid) and each October (VA). Confirm details with the agency or a qualified professional before you decide. See our editorial policy.