What happens to a patient who revokes the Medicare hospice benefit?

When a patient decides to revoke the Medicare hospice benefit, they will lose any remaining days of the current benefit period. This is because the Medicare hospice benefit is time-limited and specifically designed for patients with a terminal illness who elect to receive palliative care rather than curative treatment. By revoking this benefit, patients effectively exit the hospice care model, and consequently, any days they have not utilized in that benefit period are forfeited.

It’s important to note that revoking hospice does not prevent patients from accessing other types of Medicare services, but it does imply that they must transition to different care options. While reapplying for hospice is possible, doing so would initiate a new benefit period and thus not restore the previously unused days. Similarly, switching to standard Medicare coverage does not mean the previous days are preserved, as the focus shifts away from hospice care. Therefore, the understanding that revocation leads to the loss of remaining days in the benefit period aligns accurately with Medicare regulations.