Hospice billing, any advice?

In a facility if possible. Dying at home is what people say they want, but it’s horrible for everyone else. The dying person knows less and less. They have little idea where they are as they get closer to death. In a facility there are many people to comfort and look after them, and family can be there too, usually. Then after the dying one slips away, family can go back to a comforting home that is not full of medical equipment. There is nothing quite so awful as watching your dead loved one who died at home be carried out all covered up on a stretcher to the waiting hearse in the driveway.

Respite care is in-patient care only, in a skilled nursing facility or hospital: Medicare won’t pay for respite care at home. Although you can receive Medicare-covered respite care more than once during hospice, each stay can only last five days. It is possible that you might need to pay a small copayment for each respite care stay. There are so many different rules and regulations to this, the best advice is to contact Medicare or the Medicare Advantage Program. I hope this little bit of info you might find helpful and I sincerely wish you all the best!

Hospice in covered by Medicare. If in the home, there is no cost to the client.

If done in a facility, the cost of the facility is not covered. Hospice provides a Nurse to check on the client 3x a week or so and an aide for bathing 3x a week or so. They provide the care, depends, wipes, chucks, meds given and equipment. The facility is doing the work that family would be doing if Hospice was done "in home". Again, the client pays for being in the facility.

Respite is for a specific period of time, covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance. (about 6 days I think)
In patient continuous care beyond the respite would be private pay past what Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance would cover.
Inpatient care can continue IF they are keeping him for Pain management or Symptom management either of these would be covered.
Talk to the Hospice and determine what the cost would be and if there alternatives.

Pnut, welcome back!

Is this your FIL with state 4 pancreatic cancer?

Are you asking which is preferable/more affordable--to put him in respite care via hospice or admit him to a hospice facility?