Hospice and the Veteran

The emotional and spiritual components of hospice care can be especially meaningful to veterans who often face issues near the end of life relating to their military experiences. Support is even more crucial for veterans who do not have a strong support network of family and friends.

Anyone who has tried to navigate the health care system in America knows that often there is fragmented communication and coordination of services among health care providers, public and private insurance companies, and patients and families. Even though the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest integrated health care system in the country there are still issues. So how can we ensure veterans receive quality end-of-life care? It’s an important question to answer--particularly when considering these facts from the VA:

• More than 1,800 veterans die every day. This represents a quarter of all deaths in America. In Utah this year almost 32% of all deaths will be Veterans.
   
• Approximately 85% of veterans do not receive care through the VA health care system.
   
• Most veterans still die in the community; only 4% of veteran deaths occur in VA facilities.

These statistics highlight the importance of partnerships among VA and community health providers as well as organizations that serve veterans. There is a great need for education about hospice care and how it can be accessed.

All Medicare-eligible veterans, whether or not they are enrolled in VHA, have access to hospice care through Medicare. Veterans not eligible for Medicare may have hospice benefits through Medicaid or other private insurance. However, like 90% of all Americans, most veterans simply don’t know that these options exist.

The need for education extends beyond the public to community hospice and VA providers as well. Many community hospices are unaware of the dedicated inpatient hospice units that exist in VA facilities. Likewise, VA facilities are often unfamiliar with the services community hospices can offer and how to work with them.

There are also complex issues surrounding payment reimbursement and administration.