Find a hospice near you, and compare them calmly

See what families said about each hospice in Medicare’s survey, how many people each one cares for, and who owns it. Free to use.

5,689 hospices in the latest CMS enrollment file.

Colored-pencil drawing of a quiet sitting room with an armchair, a quilt and a lamp by a sunny window

How to choose a hospice

Start with who serves your home

Hospice care mostly happens where the person lives. Search near the home address, then call to confirm the hospice serves it.

Read what families said

Medicare surveys family caregivers after a death. Look at getting timely help and help for pain, not only the stars.

Ask a few questions

Who answers at night? Who visits, and how often? Where would respite care happen? The answers tell you a lot.

Medicare covers hospice for people with a life expectancy of 6 months or less who choose comfort care. What the benefit covers. General information, not medical advice.

Guides for families

What Medicare's hospice benefit covers, and what it does notMedicare Part A pays for hospice care for people with a terminal illness. Here is who qualifies, what is included, what is left out, and what a family pays.
The four levels of hospice careMedicare pays hospices for four levels of care. Most days are routine home care. The other three are for a crisis at home, a caregiver who needs rest, or symptoms that cannot be managed at home.
Hospice and palliative care: how they differBoth focus on comfort and quality of life. The difference is when they apply, and whether treatment to cure the illness continues.
How to switch hospice or stop hospice careChoosing a hospice is not a final decision. You can change to another hospice, or stop hospice care, and Medicare's rules spell out how.
Questions to ask a hospice before you chooseHospices must meet the same Medicare rules, but they work in different ways. These questions help you hear how a hospice will care for your family, and each one ties to what Medicare requires.
How to read CMS hospice ratings and measuresCMS publishes two kinds of numbers for each hospice: what families said in a survey, and measures built from Medicare claims. Here is what they mean and where they fall short.