Palliative Care in San Diego County, Carlsbad & Southern California
Living with a serious illness doesn’t mean choosing between treatment and comfort. Pacific Point Health Care Services provides palliative care that relieves pain, manages symptoms, and reduces stress — alongside curative treatment, at any age, and at any stage of illness. Our team partners with your existing doctors to add an extra layer of support focused entirely on your quality of life
What Is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on providing relief from the pain, symptoms, and stress of a serious illness — for patients of any age, at any stage of the illness, and alongside curative or disease-directed treatment. Unlike hospice, palliative care does not require a terminal prognosis or that a patient stop pursuing treatment; it can begin as early as diagnosis and continue for as long as it’s needed.
The goal of palliative care is simple: improve quality of life for both the patient and their family. That can mean managing pain, nausea, fatigue, or shortness of breath, supporting emotional and mental health, helping coordinate care between multiple specialists, and guiding families through difficult decisions. Pacific Point delivers palliative care wherever our patients are — at home, in an assisted living community, or in a skilled nursing facility — throughout San Diego, Carlsbad, and the greater Southern California area.
Palliative Care Team Members
Palliative care is delivered by an interdisciplinary team working together around one shared plan of care, alongside the patient’s existing physicians. Depending on individual needs, a patient’s palliative care team may include:
- Palliative care physicians and nurse practitioners — oversee the plan of care, manage complex symptoms, and coordinate with the patient’s other treating doctors
- Registered nurses — provide hands-on symptom and pain management, patient education, and regular monitoring
- Medical social workers — support patients and families with coping, communication, care coordination, and connections to community resources
- Chaplains / spiritual care counselors — offer emotional and spiritual support aligned with each patient’s personal beliefs
Cost / Insurance Coverage
Palliative care is typically covered by Medicare Part B, Medi-Cal, and most private and Medicare Advantage insurance plans, since it’s delivered alongside standard medical treatment rather than through a single dedicated benefit the way hospice is.
In general:
- Medicare Part B covers outpatient palliative care services such as physician visits, care planning, and symptom management. After the annual Part B deductible is met, patients typically pay 20% coinsurance on Medicare-approved services, unless a supplemental (Medigap) plan covers the difference.
- Medicare Part A covers palliative care provided during an inpatient hospital or skilled nursing facility stay.
- Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans cover at least what Original Medicare covers, and often include expanded palliative benefits.
- Private insurance and Medi-Cal coverage varies by plan; our team verifies specific benefits before care begins.
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