Many people and even physicians hesitate to involve hospice because of common fears: losing control of care, being unable to see current doctors, being forced to stop needed medicines, not being allowed to go to the hospital, getting “stuck” with the first agency, or being unable to stop hospice once it starts.

Here is the fact: hospice is not a lock-in contract. It is a Medicare benefit you control. If you qualify, you can elect hospice, keep Medicare coverage for conditions unrelated to the terminal illness, and use the level of support that fits your needs.

This guide explains how that flexibility works: you can pause by revoking, transfer to another hospice during a benefit period, and re-elect later if goals change. Use this so you can choose care that fits your values and timing in Dallas-Fort Worth.

What Hospice Flexibility Really Means

Hospice is a benefit, not a binding contract. If you qualify, you elect hospice to focus on comfort and quality of life. You keep control of decisions. Medicare outlines your right to choose a hospice, receive four levels of care, and adjust your plan as needs change.

Your Rights: Start, Pause, Transfer, Re-elect

Start (Elect) Hospice: When your doctor certifies a life expectancy of 6 months or less if your illness runs its normal course, you can elect hospice. You keep Medicare coverage for items unrelated to your terminal illness.
Pause (Revoke) Hospice: You can revoke your election at any time during a benefit period. Revocation must be in writing and is effective the day you sign. You may resume disease-directed treatment and can re-elect hospice later if eligible.
Transfer to a Different Hospice: You can change hospices once per benefit period. The change is a transfer, not a revocation. Both hospices complete a simple statement that names the current hospice and the new hospice with the effective date.
Re-elect Hospice: After revoking or after discharge, you may re-elect hospice when you meet eligibility again.

Your plan adapts as your goals evolve. The law protects your ability to choose and to change.

The Four Levels of Hospice Care You Can Use

Medicare defines four levels of hospice care, so support can rise during a crisis and scale back when symptoms settle:

Routine Home Care: Ongoing, team-based support where you live.
Continuous Home Care: Short-term, intensive nursing at home during uncontrolled symptoms.
Inpatient Respite Care: Up to five days per episode to give family caregivers a break.
General Inpatient Care: Short hospital or hospice unit stay for complex symptoms that cannot be managed at home.

You can move between levels as needs change. This is part of the benefit design, not an exception.

What Hospice Covers and What it Does Not

Covered when related to the terminal illness and plan of care:

Clinical visits by nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains, and other team members
Medications for symptom control
Durable medical equipment like hospital beds and oxygen
Supplies related to comfort and safety
Short inpatient or respite stays when your hospice arranges them

Not covered:

Room and board at home or in long-term care, unless your hospice arranges short inpatient or respite care
Treatments that aim to cure the terminal illness once you elect hospice
Items for conditions unrelated to the terminal illness, unless covered by your other Medicare benefits.

Ask your team to clarify what is related or unrelated in your specific situation. That conversation helps you use the benefit fully.

Common Myths That Keep People From Using Hospice

“If I start hospice, I can never go back.”
- You can revoke hospice at any time and re-elect later if you are eligible.
“I am stuck with the first hospice I pick.”
- You can transfer once per benefit period if another agency is a better fit for your needs or location.
“Hospice takes away all my Medicare.”
- Your core Medicare benefits remain for conditions unrelated to your terminal illness.
“There is only one way hospice is delivered.”
- Care flexes across four levels to match what is happening now.

How To Decide if It Is Time To Try Hospice

Use these readiness signals to guide your decision:

Increasing symptoms despite treatment
Two or more hospital or ER visits in the last few months
Declining appetite, weight, or ability to perform daily activities
A clear preference to stay at home and avoid more invasive care
Caregiver strain or safety concerns at home

You can request an information visit to learn about support, costs, and timelines. An info visit does not commit you to enroll.

For more insightful tips, read our guide about Signs It May Be Time for Hospice in Dallas County.

A Simple Path to Get Started in Dallas–Fort Worth

Ask for an information visit. We meet you at home, hospital, or facility to explain the benefit and check eligibility.
Set goals and a care plan. We review symptoms, medications, equipment, and caregiver support.
Choose your start date. You can begin right away or choose a later date that works for your family.
Adjust as you go. If goals change, you can pause or transfer. Your choices drive the plan.

Services You Can Expect With iServe Hospice

Medical oversight: Medical director and nurse practitioner support
Nursing and aides: Skilled visits for symptom control and personal care
Music therapy and volunteers: Comfort and companionship
Social work and chaplain services: Emotional and spiritual support
DME and supplies: Hospital beds, oxygen, and safety equipment
On-call support: 24/7 phone triage with urgent visits when needed
Veterans services: Coordinated benefits and honors for those who served

Our services are available in Dallas, Collin, Denton, Tarrant, Ellis, Kaufman, and Rockwall Counties with same-day information visits whenever possible.

Talk With a Trusted Hospice Team Today

You are not locking yourself into anything. You are using a flexible benefit that follows your goals. Call (469) 480-1130 or reach us through our contact page to schedule an information visit. We provide hospice care in Dallas County, Collin County, Denton County, Ellis County, Kaufman County, Rockwall County, and Tarrant County, call (469) 480-1130 to request a same-day hospice information visit.