Questions people ask
How long will Medicare pay for hospice care?
There is no fixed limit. Medicare pays for hospice in benefit periods: two 90-day periods, then an unlimited number of 60-day periods. Before each period a doctor must certify that the person is still expected to live six months or less if the illness runs its usual course. From the third period on, a hospice doctor or nurse practitioner visits in person first. People stay on hospice as long as they remain eligible.
Reviewed by our medical director, October 12, 2026
On this page (5 sections)
Where the periods come from
42 CFR 418.21 sets the election periods: a first 90-day period, a second 90-day period, then an unlimited number of 60-day periods. 42 CFR 418.22 requires a doctor to certify, for each period, that life expectancy is six months or less if the illness runs its usual course. For the first period the hospice doctor and the person's own doctor both certify. For later periods the hospice doctor recertifies, and from the third period on a hospice doctor or nurse practitioner must see the person in person first.
Six months is a prognosis, not a deadline. People can stay on hospice longer than six months as long as a doctor continues to certify that they are eligible.
The benefit periods
| Benefit period | How long | What must happen before it starts |
|---|---|---|
| First | 90 days | The hospice doctor and the person's own doctor certify six months or less if the illness runs its usual course |
| Second | 90 days | The hospice doctor recertifies |
| Third and every period after it | 60 days each, with no limit on the number of periods | A hospice doctor or nurse practitioner visits in person, then the hospice doctor recertifies |
A person can change their hospice once in each benefit period. Changing hospice is not the same as leaving hospice.
What this means for your family
- No one has to leave hospice because a date arrived. The question at each recertification is medical: is the person still expected to live six months or less if the illness runs its usual course?
- Some people improve or stabilize. If the doctor can no longer certify eligibility, the hospice discharges the person and regular Medicare coverage resumes. They can return to hospice later if a doctor certifies they are eligible again.
- The in-person visit from the third period on is a normal part of the process, not a sign that something is wrong.
- You can leave at any time. Choosing hospice is your decision. You can stop hospice at any time and return to regular Medicare coverage. You have the right to choose your hospice.
Related questions
What happens if the person lives longer than six months?
Hospice continues as long as a doctor keeps certifying that the person is eligible. There is no fixed limit on the number of 60-day periods.
What if the person gets better on hospice?
It happens. If a doctor can no longer certify that life expectancy is six months or less, the person is discharged and regular Medicare coverage resumes. They can come back later if they become eligible again.
Does a new benefit period mean starting over?
No. The plan of care, the team and the medicines continue. Recertification is a doctor's review of eligibility.
Read more
The fuller pages: hospice care and is it time for hospice. The 36 month rule, which people confuse with this one, is about hospice owners: the 36 month rule.
About this page
- Written by
- Beta Hospice care team
- Clinically reviewed by
- our medical director
- Last reviewed
- October 12, 2026
- Next review
- April 12, 2027
How we write and review this site
Sources
- 42 CFR 418.21: Duration of hospice care coverage, election periods (opens in a new tab)
- 42 CFR 418.22: Certification of terminal illness, including the face-to-face encounter (opens in a new tab)
- Medicare.gov: Hospice care coverage (opens in a new tab)
These sources support the general information on this page. For one personās care and coverage, talk with the hospice team.
You do not have to decide alone.
Call (844) 646-4434 any time, or leave your number and someone from Beta's hospice team will call you. No decision is needed to call. Most families start with a question.
Only a hospice doctor, together with the personās own doctor, can confirm hospice eligibility. A website cannot.
- A nurse answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- You can stop hospice at any time
- You have the right to choose your hospice