Your TRICARE Hospice Benefit Published May 20, 2009 By Diane Mayer TriWest Healthcare Alliance GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- If you or a loved one is faced with a terminal illness, hospice care is available from TRICARE. Hospice is a concept of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to cure-oriented treatments. The goal of hospice is to enable patients to continue an alert, pain-free life and to manage other symptoms so that their last days may be spent with dignity and quality, surrounded by their loved ones. All TRICARE beneficiaries are eligible for this benefit. Initiating Hospice Care The patient, their primary care manager (PCM), or a family member can initiate care as long as the patient's DEERS information is current. There is no paperwork for the beneficiary to complete to obtain hospice services. It is the responsibility of the hospice to submit the documentation necessary to obtain authorization for care. Coverage and OHI Hospice care is provided in three benefit periods; each period requires a separate authorization. The hospice provider will submit the necessary forms to TriWest. 1. First 90-day period 2. Second 90-day 3. Unlimited number of 60-day periods Medicare patients do not need an authorization for hospice services and they are not processed through TriWest. Costs Copayments, deductibles, cost-shares and catastrophic cap do not apply for services provided under the hospice benefit. TRICARE pays the full cost of all covered services, except for small cost-share amounts that may be collected by the hospice. Additional Questions? If you need further information on the hospice benefit, please click here, visit www.triwest.com/beneficiary or call 1-888-TRIWEST (874-9378). Additional resources are available through www.hospicenet.org.