Nov 12, 2002 3 min read

Health care breakthroughs are usually new surgical procedures or miracles drugs – not hospice care. Hospice’s story, however, is unique and remarkable. In just three decades, hospice’s have quietly revolutionized the way people die in America by honoring wishes and bringing comfort, peace and dignity to millions of patients and their families.

Albert Gallatin Home Care and Hospice has been a part of this health care revolution by providing end-of-life care for more than 21 years.

November is National Hospice Month when hospices raise awareness in their communities, honor and support their patients and families and recognize the contributions of professionals and volunteers who provide hospice care.

This year, National Hospice Month is even more significant because it marks a milestone in American health care, the 20th anniversary of the Medicare Hospice Benefit.

The hospice approach and philosophy began in the 1970s. With the establishment of a hospice benefit under Medicare in 1982, quality end-of-life care soon became increasingly accessible for a rapidly growing number of patients and their families in the 1980s and 19902.

In 1975, hospice programs served fewer than 6,000 patients a year across the nation. Now, there are approximately 3,200 hospice locations serving an estimated 775,000 patients and their families each year, and less than 1 percent of Medicare beneficiaries live in areas without access to a hospice program.

When patients and their families choose hospice, they receive care unlike any other. Hospice goes to the patient, treats pain and symptoms with aggressive medical care and eases the emotional and spiritual suffering of patients, their families and loved ones.

A team of dedicated and caring medical experts, professionals and members of the community make it possible, including doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, trained volunteers and bereavement counselors.

Under Medicare, most private insurance plans, HMOs and other managed care organizations, hospice care is available to beneficiaries and their families at little or no cost.

Even so, challenges remain. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization estimates that for every patient, who is currently receiving hospice care, there are two or more who could benefit.

What accounts for this? Primarily, lack of awareness.

This year, a survey conducted for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, found that only 15 percent of Americans know that Medicare is the primary source of coverage for hospice care. Only two out of five believe that most specialized end-of-life care is paid for by health insurance.

At the same time, those polled noted the importance of information and guidance from end-of-life experts for patients diagnosed with life-limiting conditions. Nearly nine out of 10 Americans (88 percent) believe that patients with a life-limiting diagnosis would benefit from a consultation with end-of-life specialists to complement the care of their own physician, citing more control over end-of-life decisions, improving the patient’s quality of life and diminishing the financial impact of terminal illness as the expected benefit.

Albert Gallatin Home Care & Hospice is the source of information regarding end-of-life care. For more information or answers to your questions regarding care for you or a loved one, call 724-438-6660 or toll-free at 1-800-245-4144.