Palliative Care
Specialized comfort-focused care for serious illness with transparent consultation and symptom management pricing
Palliative Care is the specialty focused on specialized comfort-focused care for serious illness with transparent consultation and symptom management pricing. OpenDoc keeps the common visit types visible so patients can compare the care path before they book. Transparent pricing on this page currently ranges from $100 to $600 across 14 common visit types. Studies show that early palliative care integration improves quality of life and in some cases extends survival — yet fewer than 30% of eligible patients receive timely palliative care referrals. OpenDoc provides direct access to board-certified palliative care specialists starting at $125 per visit, helping patients with serious illness manage symptoms, clarify goals, and navigate complex treatment decisions without waiting for an inpatient referral.
Common services and transparent pricing
Pricing estimates are modeled from the current OpenDoc specialty taxonomy, visit archetypes, and transparent cash-pay assumptions. Posted provider pricing should be treated as the source of truth whenever it is available. Pricing last reviewed April 8, 2026.
- Initial palliative care consultation — $200–$400: Initial palliative care consultation is a common palliative care entry point on OpenDoc with transparent pricing before booking.
- Follow-up palliative care visit — $125–$250: Follow-up palliative care visit is a common palliative care entry point on OpenDoc with transparent pricing before booking.
- Symptom management visit (pain, nausea, dyspnea) — $150–$300: Symptom management visit (pain, nausea, dyspnea) is a common palliative care entry point on OpenDoc with transparent pricing before booking.
- Goals of care discussion — $175–$350: Goals of care discussion is a common palliative care entry point on OpenDoc with transparent pricing before booking.
- Advance care planning session — $150–$300: Advance care planning session is a common palliative care entry point on OpenDoc with transparent pricing before booking.
- Caregiver support and education session — $125–$250: Caregiver support and education session is a common palliative care entry point on OpenDoc with transparent pricing before booking.
- Medication review and optimization — $150–$275: Medication review and optimization is a common palliative care entry point on OpenDoc with transparent pricing before booking.
- Telemedicine palliative care consultation — $150–$300: Telemedicine palliative care consultation is a common palliative care entry point on OpenDoc with transparent pricing before booking.
- Family meeting (in-person or virtual) — $200–$400: Family meeting (in-person or virtual) is a common palliative care entry point on OpenDoc with transparent pricing before booking.
- Hospice eligibility assessment — $175–$350: Hospice eligibility assessment is a common palliative care entry point on OpenDoc with transparent pricing before booking.
- Spiritual care coordination session — $100–$200: Spiritual care coordination session is a common palliative care entry point on OpenDoc with transparent pricing before booking.
- Pain crisis management visit — $175–$350: Pain crisis management visit is a common palliative care entry point on OpenDoc with transparent pricing before booking.
Frequently asked questions
How much does palliative care cost without insurance?
An initial palliative care consultation costs $200 to $400 cash-pay for a 60-minute visit. Follow-up visits range from $125 to $250. These costs include comprehensive symptom assessment, medication management, goals of care discussion, and coordination with your other medical providers.
What is the difference between palliative care and hospice?
Palliative care is appropriate at any stage of serious illness and can be provided alongside curative treatments like chemotherapy or surgery. Hospice is a specific form of palliative care for patients with a terminal prognosis (typically 6 months or less) who have elected to forgo curative treatment. You do not need to stop treatment to receive palliative care.
Do I need a referral for palliative care?
No referral is needed on OpenDoc. Patients and families can search directly for a palliative care specialist. Early engagement — at the time of a serious diagnosis rather than at end of life — is associated with better symptom control, higher patient satisfaction, and in some studies, improved survival.
Does palliative care mean giving up on treatment?
Absolutely not. Palliative care is delivered alongside curative or life-prolonging treatments. A palliative care specialist focuses on managing symptoms like pain, nausea, fatigue, and anxiety while your oncologist, cardiologist, or other physicians continue disease-directed therapy. The goal is to improve quality of life at every stage.
What does a palliative care doctor actually do?
Palliative care physicians are experts in complex symptom management — controlling pain, nausea, breathlessness, and anxiety that arise from serious illness and its treatments. They also facilitate goals of care conversations, help patients understand treatment options and tradeoffs, coordinate among multiple specialists, and support caregivers.
Can palliative care be done via telemedicine?
Yes. Palliative care is particularly well-suited to telemedicine because much of the care involves conversation-based assessment, symptom review, medication adjustment, and care planning. Telemedicine palliative visits cost $150 to $300 and allow homebound or fatigued patients to access specialist care without the burden of travel.
When should someone start palliative care?
Palliative care should ideally begin at the time of diagnosis of a serious illness — not just at end of life. Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that lung cancer patients who received early palliative care had better quality of life, less depression, and survived nearly 3 months longer than those who received standard care alone.
Does palliative care help with caregiver stress?
Yes. Caregiver support is a core component of palliative care. Palliative care teams assess caregiver burden, provide education about what to expect, teach symptom management techniques, and connect families with community resources. Dedicated caregiver support sessions ($125-$250) help prevent burnout and ensure the caregiver can sustain their role.