Hospice Care in Atlanta, Georgia

Hospice Care in the Atlanta Metro

Atlanta is the largest city in the Southeast and one of the fastest-growing major metros in the United States. The Atlanta metro — spanning Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, Clayton, Cherokee, Forsyth, Henry, and Douglas counties — has a well-developed hospice market, with a large number of licensed agencies serving the city, inner suburbs, and the outer ring of counties extending from Alpharetta and Roswell to Marietta, Decatur, and Peachtree City.

For families navigating hospice decisions in Atlanta, the high number of agencies can be both an asset and an obstacle. BestHospice.com helps you compare verified providers by ZIP code — so you can find agencies that are actually licensed and serving your neighborhood, not just licensed in Georgia.

Atlanta's Major Health Systems and Hospice Transitions

Most hospice transitions in Atlanta begin with a referral or recommendation from a hospital discharge planner or palliative care team. Atlanta's major health systems each have their own palliative care infrastructure and preferred referral networks:

Emory Healthcare is the academic health system affiliated with Emory University School of Medicine. Emory University Hospital, Emory Saint Joseph's, and Emory Decatur Hospital coordinate hospice transitions through Emory's palliative care and social work teams. Winship Cancer Institute at Emory is a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center — a significant source of hospice referrals for oncology patients.

Piedmont Healthcare is one of the largest private health systems in Georgia, operating Piedmont Atlanta, Piedmont Fayette, Piedmont Henry, Piedmont Mountainside, and other facilities across metro Atlanta and the state. Piedmont's palliative care program facilitates hospice transitions across its network.

Northside Hospital is a major community hospital system with campuses in Sandy Springs (the flagship), Cherokee, Forsyth, and Gwinnett counties. Northside has one of the highest birth and cancer surgery volumes in the region — its palliative care and oncology teams are a significant source of hospice referrals in North Atlanta and the northern suburbs.

WellStar Health System is a large nonprofit system operating WellStar Kennestone (Marietta), WellStar Atlanta Medical Center, WellStar Cobb, WellStar Douglas, and other facilities across the metro. WellStar's geographic footprint spans the western and northern suburbs of Atlanta. Grady Memorial Hospital, the public safety-net hospital for Fulton and DeKalb counties, coordinates hospice transitions for uninsured and Medicaid patients in the urban core.

Where Hospice Care Is Delivered in Atlanta

The vast majority of Atlanta-area hospice patients receive care at home — in a private residence, apartment, or family member's home. This is by far the most common setting and what most families prefer. Hospice nurses and aides travel to the patient's location, typically visiting several times per week depending on the level of care needed.

Atlanta also has a number of assisted living facilities, memory care communities, and skilled nursing facilities whose residents receive hospice services from an outside agency while remaining in their community setting. Families should confirm that a prospective hospice agency has an active relationship with the specific facility where their loved one resides.

Inpatient hospice care — for patients whose symptoms cannot be managed at home — is available at contracted inpatient units within certain hospital systems and dedicated inpatient hospice facilities. Most Atlanta hospice agencies have arrangements for inpatient care when needed, though availability and bed count vary.

Medicare and Georgia Medicaid Coverage in Atlanta

Medicare Part A covers hospice for eligible Atlanta-area patients with a physician-certified prognosis of six months or less. In 2026, covered services include nursing visits, comfort medications for the terminal diagnosis, medical equipment (hospital bed, oxygen, wheelchair), home health aide, social work, chaplain services, and bereavement counseling — most at $0 to the patient or family.

Georgia Medicaid covers hospice for qualifying low-income residents through the Georgia Families 360 managed care program. Plans include Amerigroup Georgia, Peach State Health Management (Centene), and WellCare of Georgia. Medicare Advantage plans from UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Aetna, Cigna, and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia are widely available across the Atlanta metro — all must cover hospice at Medicare Part A levels.

Georgia licenses and regulates hospice providers through the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH). All Medicare-certified Georgia hospice providers meet state licensing requirements as a condition of federal certification.

How to Choose a Hospice Provider in Atlanta

With dozens of licensed agencies in the metro, choosing a hospice provider in Atlanta can feel overwhelming. These are the questions that matter most:

• Do they serve your specific ZIP code? Atlanta agencies can be licensed for the metro but not actively staffed in your neighborhood. Confirm before calling.
• How quickly can they respond? Ask about response time for initial inquiry, intake, and first nursing visit. Same-day or next-day start is often possible for hospital discharges.
• What is their experience with your loved one's diagnosis? Cancer, dementia, heart failure, and COPD each have different symptom management needs. A provider with specific experience matters.
• What languages do they serve? Atlanta's large Hispanic, African American, Korean, and Vietnamese communities have providers who can communicate in multiple languages.
• Do they have an inpatient arrangement? If symptoms escalate, where would your loved one receive inpatient care? Confirm this before enrolling.

Full guide: How to choose a hospice provider →

Frequently Asked Questions — Hospice Care in Atlanta

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