Frequently Asked Questions

Hospice care is an established part of the healthcare system. Services are covered by Medicare, most insurance plans, and some AHCCCS plans (the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, which pays for health care for low-income people). Hospice of the Valley, a not-for-profit agency, provides the same high quality of care to everyone regardless of ability to pay.

Those who elect to use the Medicare Hospice Benefit for their serious illness choose “the hospice plan of care,” which means they are no longer seeking aggressive treatments to cure their illness. However, Hospice of the Valley will pay for many valuable treatments that provide comfort and care, including radiation therapy, limited chemotherapy, intravenous fluids and antibiotics, intravenous or stomach tube feedings, and specialized pain management technologies.   

If the patient has chosen the Medicare Hospice Benefit, and then has an illness that is not related to the “terminal” diagnosis, traditional Medicare will pay for that treatment. For example, if a patient with lung cancer falls and breaks his hip, he will get surgery for the fractured hip through traditional Medicare. If a patient on hospice chooses aggressive treatment such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or brain surgery, they are free to sign off their Medicare Hospice Benefit and return to their traditional Medicare insurance while pursuing a cure.

Hospice of the Valley functions as an extension of, not in place of, the patient’s attending physician. The agency also has medical directors available Valleywide to help patients who have no physician or need physician home visits.

Hospice of the Valley provides continuing contact and support for family and friends for at least a year following the death of a loved one. Grief support groups are offered to anyone in the community who has experienced the death of a family member, a friend or a loved one.

A phone call to Hospice of the Valley -- 602.530.6900 -- is all that is needed to begin the admission process. The agency will contact the patient’s physician for confirmation that hospice care is appropriate at this time.

Hospice of the Valley will assess your needs, recommend any necessary equipment and help make arrangements to obtain it. Equipment such as wheelchairs, oxygen and hospital beds are covered by the Medicare hospice benefit and insurance plans.

Hospice is a philosophy of care that focuses on maintaining the dignity and comfort of the patient and supporting the family. Most Hospice of the Valley patients are served in their own homes. Some are cared for in group homes, assisted living or skilled nursing facilities. Hospice inpatient units also are available for patients whose symptoms can't be managed at home.

Hospice of the Valley does nothing to speed up or slow down the dying process. Just as doctors and midwives lend support and expertise during the time of childbirth, so hospice provides its presence and specialized knowledge during the natural dying process.