how many days does a patient need to be in a hospital for medicare to cover hospice
1 5% of the Medicare-approved amount for inpatient respite care. 2  For example, if Medicare pays $100 per day for inpatient respite care, your loved one will pay $5 per day. 3  He or she can stay in a Medicare-approved hospital or nursing home up to 5 days each time he/she gets respite care.