San Diego Senior AdvisorPalomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care is a Medicare-certified hospice based at 365 S Rancho Santa Fe, Suite 104 in San Marcos, CA 92078. It has been certified since 2021. It cares for about 84 patients on an average day, making it a mid-sized hospice. It scores 9 out of 10 on Medicare's Hospice Care Index; the California average is 8.3. Family caregivers rate it 2 out of 5 stars. The index flags 5 areas where it is worse than the California average, starting with gaps in nursing visits longer than 7 days.
What is Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care's Medicare record?
| Hospice | Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care |
|---|---|
| Address | 365 S Rancho Santa Fe, Suite 104, San Marcos, CA 92078 |
| Phone | (619) 780-5469 |
| Medicare provider number (CCN) | A11732 |
| Ownership | Other |
| Medicare-certified since | 02/10/2021 |
How does Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care score on Medicare's Hospice Care Index?
Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care scores 9 out of 10 on the Hospice Care Index, which counts how many of ten visit, discharge and staffing indicators a hospice meets. Against the California average it is better on 1 of the indicators below and worse on 5.
| Indicator | Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care | California average | U.S. average | vs. California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaps in nursing visits longer than 7 days (lower is better) | 72.2% | 58.9% | 52.4% | Worse |
| Patients discharged alive within 7 days (lower is better) | 23.2% | 5.4% | 7.3% | Worse |
| Patients discharged alive after 180 days or more (lower is better) | 13.1% | 42.7% | 37.4% | Better |
| Live discharge followed by a hospital stay and readmission to hospice (lower is better) | 5.1% | 6.5% | 8.5% | About the same |
| Live discharge followed by death in hospital (lower is better) | 2% | 1.9% | 2.1% | About the same |
| Nurse minutes per routine home care day | 12.4 min | 30.4 min | 19.9 min | Worse |
| Share of skilled nursing minutes given on weekends | 8.2% | 13.7% | 9.6% | Worse |
| Patients visited by a nurse in the last 3 days of life | 79.4% | 83.6% | 89.3% | Worse |
Separately, 98.2% of its patients received all seven recommended care steps at admission (California average 93.4%) and 41.1% were visited by a nurse or social worker on at least two of their last three days (California average 20.4%).
What do families say about Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care?
72% of family caregivers said they would definitely recommend Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care; the California average is 82%. The survey goes to the family member who was the main caregiver, after the patient has died.
| Survey question | Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care | California average | U.S. average | vs. California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team always communicated well | 73% | 79% | 82% | Worse |
| Team always provided timely help | 66% | 73% | 78% | Worse |
| Team always treated the patient with respect | 88% | 89% | 91% | About the same |
| Right amount of emotional and spiritual support | 88% | 89% | 91% | About the same |
| Patient always got help for pain and symptoms | 69% | 75% | 76% | Worse |
| Caregivers rated the hospice 9 or 10 | 72% | 80% | 83% | Worse |
| Would definitely recommend the hospice | 72% | 82% | 85% | Worse |
Where does Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care deliver care, and to whom?
52% of palomar health palliative & hospice care's care is delivered at home and its largest patient group by diagnosis is dementia (20%). It has provided levels of care beyond routine home visits, such as continuous care at home or inpatient stays, in the last three years.
| Where care is delivered | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| At home | 52% |
| In assisted living | 36% |
| In a skilled nursing facility | 11% |
| In a hospital | 1% |
| Primary diagnosis | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| Dementia | 20% |
| Stroke | 20% |
| Cancer | 18% |
| Respiratory disease | 17% |
| Heart and circulatory disease | 16% |
| Other conditions | 11% |
Which San Diego-area ZIP codes does Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care serve?
Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care tells Medicare it serves 40 ZIP codes in San Diego County.
- 92003
- 92008
- 92009
- 92010
- 92011
- 92020
- 92024
- 92025
- 92026
- 92027
- 92028
- 92029
- 92037
- 92054
- 92056
- 92057
- 92061
- 92064
- 92065
- 92067
- 92069
- 92078
- 92081
- 92082
- 92083
- 92084
- 92101
- 92103
- 92105
- 92116
- 92122
- 92123
- 92124
- 92126
- 92127
- 92128
- 92129
- 92130
- 92131
- 92139
What should you ask Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care before choosing it?
Ask how often the nurse visits
72.2% of Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care's patients went more than seven days without a nursing visit at some point, against 58.9% across California. Ask for the planned visit schedule in writing and who decides when it changes.
Ask what happens in the first week
23.2% of its live discharges came within a week of enrollment (California average 5.4%). Ask what the admission visit covers and how they confirm hospice is the right fit before enrolling.
Ask how long nursing visits last
Its nurses average 12.4 minutes per routine care day, against 30.4 minutes across California. Ask how long a typical visit lasts and whether the same nurse comes each time.
Ask where inpatient care happens
When symptoms cannot be managed at home, hospice provides short inpatient stays. Ask which facility they use and how far it is from the family.
All Medicare-certified hospices in San Diego County
Last verified: November 2026, against the Medicare hospice data release dated 2026-08-07.
Common questions
Is Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care Medicare-certified?
Yes. Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care is certified by Medicare under provider number A11732 and has been since 2021.
What is Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care's Hospice Care Index score?
9 out of 10 in the current Medicare data. The California average is 8.3.
How large is Palomar Health Palliative & Hospice Care?
It cares for about 84 patients on an average day.
