I don't think that there is a specific number of days or months that medicare will pay. But if the medical prognosis changes you may no longer be eligible.
My mother was not expected to live more than 6 months after she broke her hip. In fact, the palliative nurse at the hospital wasn't sure she'd live a week. Mom was discharged back to the nursing home, on hospice. After a few months she had gone back to her pre-fall dementia baseline, was regaining weight, and the pain of the inoperable hip problem was under control. It no longer seemed likely that she was close to death. She was discharged from the hospice program. That was several months ago, and she continues to do well and is content. She could go back on hospice again if/when it becomes apparent she is close to the end of her life.
Hospice is intended for folks who, according to best medical prognosis, are within the last 6 months of their lives. But it is acknowledged that no one can accurately say when someone will die, and people do continue on hospice much longer than 6 months if they continue to appear to be in the final stages of their disease. And people can be discharged back into regular care if the recover better than they were expected to.
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My mother was not expected to live more than 6 months after she broke her hip. In fact, the palliative nurse at the hospital wasn't sure she'd live a week. Mom was discharged back to the nursing home, on hospice. After a few months she had gone back to her pre-fall dementia baseline, was regaining weight, and the pain of the inoperable hip problem was under control. It no longer seemed likely that she was close to death. She was discharged from the hospice program. That was several months ago, and she continues to do well and is content. She could go back on hospice again if/when it becomes apparent she is close to the end of her life.
Hospice is intended for folks who, according to best medical prognosis, are within the last 6 months of their lives. But it is acknowledged that no one can accurately say when someone will die, and people do continue on hospice much longer than 6 months if they continue to appear to be in the final stages of their disease. And people can be discharged back into regular care if the recover better than they were expected to.