Can I choose to stop receiving hospice care?
If your health improves or your illness goes into remission, you no longer need hospice care. Also, you always have the right to stop hospice care at any time for any reason. If you stop your hospice care, you’ll get the type of Medicare coverage you had before you chose a hospice program (like treatment to cure the terminal illness). If you’re eligible, you can go back to hospice care at any time.
Example: Mrs. Jones has terminal cancer and receives hospice care for two 90-day benefit periods. Her cancer went into remission. At the start of her 60-day period, Mrs. Jones and her doctor decided that, due to her remission, she wouldn’t need to return to hospice care at that time. Mrs. Jones’ doctor told her that if she becomes eligible for hospice services in the future, she may be recertified and can return to hospice care.
