Medicare stipulates that a patient must have a prognosis of 6 months or less to live if their life limiting illness runs its course. If a patient goes beyond the 6 month time frame, we can re-certify the patient for a longer period of time if appropriate.

Things to consider when referring for Hospice:

• Can you foresee the patient's life extending beyond a year?
• Has the patient made multiple trips to the ICU or ER recently?
• Are the caregivers contacting you more frequently about this patient?
• Is the patient declining or are you seeing a rapid change in condition?
• Are curative treatments no longer working or making symptoms worse?

Things to consider when referring to a Hospice company:

• How long have they been providing Hospice services?
• Do they provide services where your patient will reside?
• How soon are they able to see the patient when needed?
• Do they provide services for the patient, family and/or caregivers?
• Are they in network with your patient's insurance provider or Medicare?

Call us toll free at 1-866-478-7898 to learn more about Three Rivers Hospice. Our offices are open 24x7 and our Nurses will be available to speak with you regarding any questions that you might have.