For nearly every family, hospice costs nothing per day. Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance pay the hospice provider a set daily rate that covers the entire plan of care, so the patient’s family is not billed for hospice care itself. The only charges Medicare permits are a copayment of up to $5 per outpatient comfort prescription and up to 5% of the approved amount for short inpatient respite stays.
At Seasons Hospice in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the answer is even simpler: our care is always free to patients and families, with no daily charges, no service fees, and no surprise bills, because we are a community-supported hospice rather than a for-profit chain.
How is hospice billed if not per visit?
Hospice is not billed like a hospital stay. Medicare pays agencies a flat daily rate for each enrolled day, regardless of how many visits occur, under rules set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. That one payment covers nursing, physician oversight, comfort medications, equipment, aide visits, social work, and spiritual support.
Does the cost change with the level of care?
The rate the government pays changes; the family’s cost generally does not. Routine home care, the level most patients receive, costs the family nothing. Continuous home care during a short medical crisis costs nothing. General inpatient care for symptoms unmanageable at home costs nothing. Only inpatient respite care may carry a family charge, capped at 5% of the Medicare-approved amount per Medicare’s rules.
What about room and board in a facility?
Hospice pays for the care, not the rent. If your loved one lives in a nursing home or assisted living, hospice services come to them at no charge, but the facility’s room and board remains the family’s responsibility, just as it was before hospice began.
Is 24-hour in-home hospice more expensive?
Hospice does not provide routine 24-hour bedside staffing, so there is no premium to pay. Continuous nursing during a medical crisis is covered at no family cost but is short-term. Families who want around-the-clock non-medical sitters typically hire them separately; your hospice social worker can suggest options.
What does hospice cost with no insurance at all?
At Seasons Hospice, still nothing. We provide the complete program free to uninsured families, and we check for overlooked Medicare, Medicaid, or VA eligibility at no charge.
Hospice costs by level of care at a glance
Medicare pays hospice agencies a flat daily rate for each enrolled day, and the family’s cost generally does not change with the level of care. Routine home care, the level most patients receive, continuous home care during a short medical crisis, and general inpatient care for symptoms unmanageable at home all cost the family nothing, while inpatient respite care, a short stay that gives caregivers a break, may carry a charge capped at 5% of the Medicare-approved amount. Hospice pays for the care, not the rent, so room and board in a nursing home or assisted living remains the family’s responsibility.
| Level of care | What it is | Cost to the family |
|---|---|---|
| Routine home care | The level most patients receive | Nothing |
| Continuous home care | Short-term nursing during a medical crisis | Nothing |
| General inpatient care | For symptoms unmanageable at home | Nothing |
| Inpatient respite care | A short stay that gives caregivers a break | Capped at 5% of the Medicare-approved amount |
| Room and board in a facility | Not part of hospice care | The family’s responsibility |
No-cost hospice care in Tulsa, OK
Seasons Hospice has served Tulsa and Muskogee families since 1998 as an independent, faith-based hospice. Every service, from nursing and medications to equipment and grief counseling, comes at no cost, so your energy stays at the bedside instead of the billing office. Contact us today or call (918) 745-0222.