HOSPICE CARE

Hospice is Not a Contract: Understanding Your Flexible Options

You have real choices in hospice. If your needs change, you can switch providers, pause hospice to pursue other treatments, or come back to hospice when comfort-first care is right again. 

This guide outlines how each option works in the Atlanta area, what forms you sign, how coverage shifts, and how to keep your doctor involved so your care stays aligned with what matters most to you and your family.

What Hospice Flexibility Really Means

Hospice is a Medicare benefit, not a binding contract. You choose the hospice that coordinates your comfort-focused care. If your needs or preferences change, you can change the plan. Flexibility includes:

• Changing hospice providers once in each benefit period by completing a transfer form. This is not a revocation.
• Pausing hospice (revocation) if you decide to pursue treatments outside the hospice plan. You may revoke at any time, then re-elect hospice later if you qualify.
• Reenrolling in hospice when comfort care is again the right fit, as long as you meet eligibility
• Keeping your attending physician if you wish, which Medicare allows. 

Transfers: How To Switch Hospice Providers

Sometimes families want a different fit, additional services, or a team closer to home. Medicare allows one provider change per benefit period. The process is straightforward:

1. Choose a new hospice that matches your goals.
2. Sign a transfer statement that lists the current hospice, the new hospice, and the effective date.
3. Both hospices coordinate the handoff. The day of transfer may be billed by both agencies for a seamless transition.

Good to know: You cannot receive the same hospice-covered services from two hospices at once. Care must be arranged by the hospice you elected. 

Revocation: How to Pause Hospice Care

You can end your hospice election at any time. Reasons vary, for example a new goal to try disease-directed therapy, or a temporary need that falls outside the hospice plan.

• What you sign: A short revocation form with the date you want hospice to end.
• What happens next: Regular Medicare coverage resumes immediately for services related to your illness.
• Your rights: Only the patient or authorized representative can revoke. Hospices cannot revoke for you, and there is no such thing as automatic revocation. 

Reenrollment: Returning to Hospice When You Are Ready

If your condition changes or you choose to refocus on comfort, you can re-elect hospice as long as you meet eligibility. Your remaining benefit periods continue, and either your previous hospice or a new team can admit you once a physician certifies eligibility. The goal is to make the transition simple and supportive for you and your family.

• Ask your doctor to confirm eligibility and complete a hospice referral.
• Choose the hospice that best fits your needs and location.
• Sign the hospice election form with your preferred start date.
• Review covered services, medications, and equipment before admission.
• Request a care plan meeting within the first 48 hours to align goals.

Keeping Your Own Doctor

You can continue seeing your regular doctor as your attending physician while on hospice. Your attending partners with the hospice medical director and team to adjust medications, manage symptoms, and respect your preferences so care stays consistent and personal.

• Tell the hospice who you want as your attending physician.
• Make sure contact information is shared between your doctor and the hospice team.
• Schedule check-ins to review pain, breathing, and other priority symptoms.
• Ask for medication changes to be coordinated through both clinicians.
• Keep a simple list of goals and limits for treatments to guide decisions.

Georgia and Atlanta Area Notes

In Georgia, hospices must provide a written explanation of your rights at admission and display contact details for reporting concerns. If you have questions during a transfer, revocation, or reenrollment, ask your hospice to review the rights notice with you and explain how to reach state and federal offices.

• Request a copy of your rights and responsibilities at admission.
• Confirm how to contact Georgia’s licensure office and Medicare hotlines.
• Ask for help with transfer or revocation forms if you need a change.
• Keep a copy of your advance directives and POLST with your plan of care.
• If concerns are not resolved, use the posted numbers to file a complaint.

Common Myths, Clarified

• Myth: “If we go to the hospital, hospice is over.”
  Fact: Emergencies can be part of serious illness. Seeking hospital care does not cause automatic revocation. Only the patient or representative can revoke. 
• Myth: “We are stuck with the hospice we chose.”
  Fact: You may change hospice providers once in each benefit period by signing a transfer statement.
• Myth: “If we stop hospice, we cannot get it again.”
  Fact: You may revoke and later re-elect hospice when it aligns with your goals and you qualify. 

How to Decide Which Option Fits Right Now

Use these questions to guide your choice:

• Do our goals still match a comfort-first plan at home? If yes, you can remain with your current hospice or transfer to another team that fits better.
• Do we want to try a treatment that hospice does not cover? If yes, revocation may make sense, with the option to re-elect later.
• Do we feel supported by the current team? If not, explore a transfer. Medicare allows one change per benefit period, and the process is designed to be smooth. 

Key Takeaways

• Hospice is flexible. You can transfer once per benefit period, revoke at any time, and re-enroll later.
• A transfer is not a revocation, and only the patient or representative can revoke.
• You may keep your attending physician while receiving hospice care.

Local Help Choosing the Right Path

Call us at (404) 921-3341 to talk through your choices today. Inspire Hospice cares for families across Atlanta, Athens, Duluth, Gainesville, Kennesaw, and Newnan. We help you compare options, coordinate transfers, or set up same-day admissions when appropriate. Our team can explain what Medicare covers, how to keep your doctor involved, and how to return to hospice if your needs change.