Can you leave hospice if you get better?

Yes. According to the National Cancer Institute, you always have the option to stop hospice care if you choose. Sometimes patients change their mind, decide to switch to another hospice provider, or their situation changes in some other way. Less common, but not unheard of, patients may be discharged from hospice if their condition improves, or if they resume cancer treatment.

Hospice care is also not limited to a fixed time. Most insurance plans, including Medicare, cover hospice once your attending doctor and the hospice medical director state that you have a life expectancy of 6 months or less—but hospice care can be continued if you live longer than 6 months, as long as your hospice doctor recertifies your condition.

NCI does not describe exactly how discharge or re-enrollment works in every situation, so your hospice team or insurance provider is the best source for details about your specific coverage and options. They can also answer questions about whether decisions like getting a second opinion would affect eligibility for hospice services.