Caregiver guide
Hospice at home.Who provides the equipment?
It is one of the first questions families ask when hospice starts — and one of the last when it ends. The short answer: while a patient is on hospice, the hospice agency arranges the equipment related to the illness. When hospice ends, that equipment goes back, and families often have to arrange it again. Here is how both transitions work, and where a supplier like us fits in.
Starting hospice
When hospice starts.
Under the Medicare hospice benefit, the hospice agency is responsible for the care plan — including medical equipment related to the terminal illness. A hospital bed, oxygen, and similar items are typically arranged and provided by the hospice as part of that plan, rather than billed separately through Medicare Part B.
- Ask the hospice team, item by item, what they will provide
- Equipment for a condition unrelated to the terminal illness may stay under regular Medicare or Medicaid coverage
- If you already rent equipment from a supplier, tell both the hospice team and the supplier — before the switch, not after
Equipment already in the home
What about the bed we already have?
Many families already have a rented hospital bed or oxygen concentrator in place when hospice begins. The hospice team decides what it will supply; items it replaces are returned to the original supplier. If one of those items is ours, call us at (516) 623-9500 and we will arrange the pickup — and if an item should stay, we will tell you that too.
Ending hospice
When hospice ends.
Hospice sometimes ends while the patient is still alive — they improve, they revoke the benefit, or they choose to resume treatment. When that happens, the hospice benefit stops, hospice-provided equipment is generally picked up, and regular Medicare or Medicaid rules apply again. Families can be caught without a bed or oxygen if no one plans for the handoff.
- Ask the hospice team how much notice you will get before equipment pickup
- Line up the replacement equipment before the pickup date when you can
- Coverage is verified again under the regular benefit — a valid prescription is required to bill insurance
- If insurance will not cover an item, month-to-month rental keeps the home set up without a gap
That handoff is exactly where we help: call (516) 623-9500 and we will verify coverage and get the equipment in place around the transition. See also our insurance page and our guide to setting up a hospital bed at home.
Ask the hospice team
Five questions worth asking.
- Which equipment will you provide, and when will it arrive?
- What happens to the equipment we already have in the home?
- Who do we call if a piece of equipment stops working?
- If hospice ends, how much notice do we get before pickup?
- Is any of the equipment covered outside the hospice benefit?
Questions, answered.
For your specific situation, call (516) 623-9500 — and always confirm the plan with your hospice team, who direct the care.
Does Medicare pay for a hospital bed during hospice?
Under the Medicare hospice benefit, the hospice agency provides equipment related to the terminal illness — such as a hospital bed or oxygen — as part of the plan of care. It is arranged by the hospice, not billed separately to Medicare Part B.
Do we have to return our rented equipment when hospice starts?
Often the hospice supplies its own equipment, and items it replaces are returned to the original supplier. Go item by item with the hospice team, and call your supplier to arrange pickup of anything being replaced — do not assume an item stays or goes.
What happens to the equipment when hospice ends?
When hospice ends — because the patient improves, revokes the benefit, or chooses treatment again — hospice-provided equipment is generally picked up, and regular Medicare or Medicaid coverage applies again. If the patient still needs the equipment, arrange the replacement in advance so there is no gap.
Can we rent equipment while a patient is on hospice?
Sometimes, for needs outside the hospice plan of care. Coordinate with the hospice team first so nothing conflicts with their plan, and talk to us about what you need — we will be straight about what makes sense.
Is Central Home Care a hospice agency?
No. Central Home Care is a Medicare-enrolled medical equipment supplier. We do not provide hospice care, nursing, or home health aides. We supply and service medical equipment, and we work alongside the hospice team’s plan — we never replace it.