Respite care coverage, defined

It is a small provision inside a long-term care policy and inside the Medicare hospice benefit, and it is often overlooked until the caregiving spouse or child is exhausted. Policies commonly allow a fixed number of days a year, sometimes with no waiting period, and pay at the normal daily maximum. Medicare's hospice version pays for a short inpatient stay in an approved facility, occasionally rather than continuously. The rules on who can provide the substitute help and whether the days can be used in blocks vary. Caregiver burnout is a common reason people move into facilities earlier than their condition requires, so the benefit does more than its size suggests.