Federal Medicare hospice benefit statutory authority

What changed

Section 1861(dd) defines hospice care for terminally ill individuals, including nursing care, medical social services, counseling, physicians' services, and short-term inpatient care for respite, pain control, and symptom management. It also defines hospice program requirements such as 24-hour availability and bereavement counseling for immediate family.

Why it matters

The caregiver policy corpus needs the statutory basis behind Medicare hospice guidance so summaries do not treat benefit manuals or consumer pages as the source of the underlying federal benefit.

Who it touches

Family caregivers, Care providers and plans, People receiving careMedicare beneficiaries, terminally ill people, family caregivers, hospice providers

Topics

Respite care

• Social Security Act section 1861(dd)
• CMS Medicare Benefit Policy Manual Chapter 9

Last reviewed Jul 4, 2026. This is information, not legal advice; check the source for the current text.