Hospice Care

Hospice care is available from TRICARE when you or a loved one are faced with a terminal illness. Hospice care emphasizes supportive services, rather than cure-oriented treatment for patients with a life expectancy of six months or less.

The benefit includes personal care and home health aid services, which are otherwise limited under TRICARE.
In addition to the TRICARE hospice benefit, Health Net Federal Services, LLC (HNFS) provides hospice case management when needed to help with coordinating care. This allows beneficiaries to focus on the care of their loved ones.

Visit TRICARE's Hospice page for additional information.

End of Life Planning

End of life discussions, including desired medical treatment, care, legal decisions and personal or spiritual needs, can be very difficult but are important. Making these tough decisions prior to you or a family member facing a terminal illness or accident can help ensure the desires are met when the need arises.

This type of conversation can be uncomfortable, so here are a few ways to move through the topic:

Ask permission to have the discussion. For example, “If you ever got sick, I want to make sure you receive the type of care you want. Can we talk about this?” This will let your loved one know you respect his or her wishes and want to honor them.
Be prepared that your loved one may not be comfortable having this discussion. It’s important to let him/her lead this conversation and talk as much as he/she is willing. Just listening and showing empathy for these feelings may help your loved one become more comfortable.
Document some of his/her desires and concerns. It’s important to have your loved one’s decisions written down, especially in the case of an emergency. Visit the resources below to learn more.
Discuss these wishes with a medical provider. Providers can submit a claim for reimbursement of the office visit for end of life planning using CPT® Code 99489.

Resources to help make decisions and promote additional conversations:

Five Wishes brought to you by www.agingwithdignity.org can be completed online or printed. This document will guide you through the type of conversations to have and how to document five important wishes.
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization provides detailed information including links to state specific Advance Directives. An Advance Directive is a written statement of you or your family member’s wishes regarding medical treatment.
Mayo Clinic offers additional information regarding the difference between a power of attorney, living will and a ‘Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)’ order. These are all important things to consider when making final decisions.