Final answer:
The hospice Medicare benefit was initiated in 1983, following the establishment of Medicare in 1965 and the introduction of the modern hospice concept by Cicely Saunders in 1967.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hospice Medicare benefit started in 1983. While Medicare itself was established in 1965, the hospice benefit under Medicare wasn't made a permanent fixture until much later. In 1967, the concept of modern hospice was created by Cicely Saunders in England, and this idea was brought to the United States by Florence Wald in 1974. However, it wasn't until 1983 that hospice care was officially integrated into the Medicare system, providing a benefit to ensure that terminally ill patients could receive palliative care in a comfortable setting, typically outside of the hospital environment.