How long can one receive hospice care?
Hospice care is intended for people with 6 months or less to live if the disease runs its normal course. If you live longer than 6 months, you can still receive hospice care, as long as the hospice medical director or other hospice doctor recertifies that you’re terminally ill.
Important: Hospice care is given in benefit periods. You can receive hospice care for two 90-day periods followed by an unlimited number of 60-day periods. At the start of each period, the hospice medical director or other hospice doctor must recertify that you’re terminally ill, so you can continue to receive hospice care. A benefit period starts the day you begin to receive hospice care and it ends when your 90-day or 60 day period ends.
