Hospice With Medicaid Only, or No Insurance, in Michigan

Updated November 2026. Written and reviewed by the Lily Hospice clinical team. This page describes coverage in general terms; a Lily social worker checks each person’s actual coverage at no charge.

Yes. Michigan Medicaid covers hospice at home or in a facility, people with both Medicare and Medicaid have Medicare pay the hospice, and someone with no insurance can usually be enrolled in coverage quickly while care begins. Lily Hospice serves all of Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties in Southeast Michigan, with a 24/7 nurse line and an evaluation usually within a day.

Short answer: Yes. In Michigan, a person with Medicaid only can receive hospice at home or in a facility, and Michigan Medicaid covers it. A person with no insurance at all can usually be enrolled in coverage quickly, and hospices, including Lily, are expected to care for eligible patients regardless of ability to pay. Call (248) 955-5100; the first thing our social worker does is figure out how the care will be paid for, so the family does not have to.

Key facts: Michigan Medicaid covers hospice much as Medicare does; for eligible nursing-home residents it can also pay room and board; people with both Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) have Medicare pay the hospice; and the MI Choice Waiver can often be coordinated with hospice at home. See also hospice in Michigan by the numbers.

If the person has Medicaid

Michigan Medicaid includes a hospice benefit that mirrors Medicare’s: nursing, aide, social work and chaplain visits, medications for comfort, equipment and supplies related to the terminal illness, all through the hospice. If the person is in a nursing facility on Medicaid, Medicaid also continues to pay the facility’s room and board (the hospice and the facility coordinate this; the family does nothing). If the person is on a Medicaid managed-care plan (Meridian, Molina, McLaren, Blue Cross Complete, Priority Health, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, HAP CareSource, Aetna Better Health), hospice is still covered; the hospice handles the authorization.

If the person has both Medicare and Medicaid

Medicare pays for the hospice care; Medicaid covers what Medicare does not, which in a nursing facility means room and board. This is the most common situation for nursing-home residents in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, and it is the smoothest. For the full picture, including the MI Choice waiver and the 2026 eligibility figures, read hospice and long-term-care Medicaid in Michigan.

If the person has no insurance

1. Over 65 and never enrolled in Medicare? Enrollment can be started immediately through Social Security; hospice can begin while it is processed.
2. Under 65 with a terminal illness? Michigan Medicaid (including the Healthy Michigan Plan for adults under 138% of the poverty level) can be applied for online at MI Bridges, and coverage can be backdated up to three months. Our social worker helps with the application.
3. Not eligible for either? Talk to us anyway. Lily works with families on a case-by-case basis; the conversation about money never comes before the conversation about care.

What families in a facility keep paying

Neither Medicare nor Medicaid pays for room and board in assisted living or memory care; the family continues that arrangement while hospice adds care on top. In a skilled nursing facility, Medicaid can cover room and board for those who qualify. See what Medicare covers for hospice and hospice in assisted living and memory care.

What “hospice is free” really means

Under Medicare and Medicaid, the hospice care itself (visits, comfort medications, equipment, supplies, on-call nursing, bereavement support) is covered in full for almost every family; Medicare allows a copay of up to $5 per prescription and 5% for inpatient respite care, and in practice most families pay nothing. What is never covered by hospice is care unrelated to the terminal illness, and treatments meant to cure the illness. A social worker explains what falls where before anyone signs anything.

Common questions

Does Michigan Medicaid cover hospice?

Yes. Michigan Medicaid has a hospice benefit similar to Medicare’s, covering nursing, aide, social work and chaplain visits, comfort medications, equipment and supplies. In a nursing facility, Medicaid can also continue to pay room and board. Medicaid managed-care plans cover hospice as well; the hospice handles authorization.

Can someone with no insurance get hospice in Michigan?

Usually yes. People over 65 can enroll in Medicare immediately; adults under 65 can apply for Michigan Medicaid or the Healthy Michigan Plan through MI Bridges, with coverage backdated up to three months. Lily Hospice’s social worker helps with the application, and care can begin while it is processed.

Does hospice pay for the nursing home or assisted living?

No. Hospice pays for hospice care. Room and board in assisted living or memory care remains the family’s arrangement. In a skilled nursing facility, Medicaid can cover room and board for those who qualify, coordinated by the hospice and the facility.

Can my parent keep MI Choice Waiver services after hospice starts?

Often, yes. The MI Choice Waiver and hospice can run side by side at home as long as the services do not duplicate each other; the waiver agent and the hospice coordinate who provides what. Our social worker checks the specific plan before anything changes, so no help is lost in the handoff.

Does the hospice help with the Medicaid application?

Yes. A Lily social worker helps the family gather documents and apply through MI Bridges, follows up with the caseworker, and keeps the annual renewal on the calendar. For a parent who may need a nursing home, our guide to hospice and long-term-care Medicaid in Michigan explains the look-back and spend-down rules in plain language.

Related guides: hospice and long-term-care Medicaid in Michigan, how much hospice costs in Michigan, Medicare Advantage and hospice, the year-end checklist for family caregivers (Medicaid renewal and Extra Help) and Is It Time? A family’s gentle guide to hospice. Lily serves families at home, in assisted living, memory care and nursing facilities across Oakland County, Macomb County and Wayne County.

Questions about a specific situation: (248) 955-5100, 24 hours a day. Professionals can use the referral page.

Hospice isn’t giving up. It’s showing up. Call (248) 955-5100. A real person answers, 24 hours a day.