Hospice Care vs. Palliative Care: Is There Really a Difference?

01 Sep Hospice Care vs. Palliative Care: Is There Really a Difference?

Over the last several years, a philosophy of care called “palliative care” has emerged. Because hospice care is a type of palliative care, people sometimes wonder whether there’s a difference between the two. At times, clinical and non-clinical people will use the terms “hospice care” and “palliative care” are incorrectly used interchangeably. It’s important to know the differences between the two.

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Let’s take a look at some differences between the two.

Difference: Prognosis of the patient’s illness

Hospice care is a philosophy of care and a type of care that focuses on pain control and symptom management. The same can be accurately said about palliative care. But in order for a patient to be eligible for hospice care, he or she must have a life-limiting illness that is expected to result in his or her death within about 6 months, if the natural course of the disease takes place. On the other hand, palliative care is for patients with any type of disease for which they can benefit from pain and symptom management. Patients who are eligible to receive palliative care might have a terminal illness for which there is no cure, or they might have a chronic illness that may or may not result in their deaths. Or they might even have a curable illness for which symptom management is beneficial. Many patients who receive palliative care do so for a short time and then they go on to live their lives without the need for palliative care anymore.

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Patients who receive palliative care do not have to be expected to die within any timeframe since being terminally ill is not a prerequisite for being eligible to receive for palliative care services. Because both types of care offer services aimed at pain management, patients often think that hospice care and palliative care are the same things.

Difference: The way in which care is billed

Hospice care is billed as an all-inclusive package, meaning that when a patient’s insurance or Medicare (under the Medicare hospice benefit) is billed for hospice care, everything done for, or provided to, the patient as part of hospice services is included under the umbrella of hospice care and billed as such.

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Palliative care, however, is billed in the same way a patient’s insurance or Medicare is billed for doctor’s visits, treatments and the like. (Medicare Part B is billed for palliative care.) Palliative care is not billed as a package, but rather, individual palliative care services rendered are billed individually.

Difference: The make-up of care teams

The hospice care team is made up of doctors, nurses, social workers, physical, occupational and speech therapists, chaplains, hospice aides and volunteers. The team behind hospice care is made up mostly of clinical or medical professionals. The hospice care team is made up of medical staff, such as doctors and nurses, but the palliative care team includes non-medical staff members as well, such as massage therapists, music and art therapists, acupuncturists and others.

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Difference: Curative treatments

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When a patient chooses to receive hospice care, he or she must have decided to forgo curative and life-prolonging treatments. A patient who receives palliative care can do so while pursuing curative, disease-modifying and/or life-prolonging treatments. This is one of the most significant differences between hospice care and palliative care.

Difference: When care ends

Another way in which hospice care and palliative care differ is in when each type of care comes to an end. Both types of care can end at the patient’s request. But when a patient elects to receive hospice care, that care can be rendered until the patient passes away. And because palliative care can be rendered to patients who are not terminally ill, palliative care may end after a patient reaches goals, such as pain being under control.

If you’re unsure, ask for clarity

There are other differences and similarities between hospice care and palliative care. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the two are often explained as the same thing, but they are, in fact, different in many aspects. If you have questions about the two, or if you are confused about what type of care you need, be sure to ask for clarity.

CarePlus Hospice is your resource for compassionate hospice care that’s second to none. If you have questions about hospice care, please call us at (972) 243-3033. We’ll be happy to talk with you and answer any questions you have about hospice, eligibility and what is included in expert hospice care.