procedures
Hospice Care
ホスピスケア (hoshupisu kea)
Hospice care provides specialized comfort-focused medical care for individuals with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of six months or less, as certified by two physicians. Hospice prioritizes quality of life and symptom management over curative treatment. Medicare Part A fully covers hospice care (including medications related to the terminal diagnosis, nursing, aide services, and bereavement counseling for families) when care is provided by a Medicare-certified hospice program and the patient elects the hospice benefit. Patients can leave hospice and return to curative care at any time.
The hospice benefit is significantly underutilized in the US; many families and patients access it later than would be beneficial.
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Hospice Care |
| Japanese (日本語) | ホスピスケア |
| Chinese (中文) | 临终关怀 |
| Korean (한국어) | 호스피스 케어 |
| Portuguese | Cuidados Paliativos / Hospice |
| Spanish | Cuidados Paliativos / Hospicio |
| Filipino | Hospice Care |
| Thai | การดูแลผู้ป่วยระยะสุดท้าย |
| Vietnamese | Chăm sóc giảm nhẹ |
| Romanization | hoshupisu kea |
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Browse US healthcare guides →Last reviewed: September 2026