Hospice Care for Veterans

MAR Hospice Care is a veteran-owned agency, certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business and contracted with Veterans Affairs. For families, that means the people coordinating a veteran's care understand military service from the inside, not just from a chart.

We are experienced in working with veteran patients and understand that many carry unique emotional and psychological burdens related to military service. Our social workers and chaplains are trained to acknowledge and honor these experiences.

Veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare system may receive hospice care covered entirely by the VA. Hospice is part of the care VA-enrolled veterans can receive when a terminal illness is no longer responding to curative treatment and the focus shifts to comfort, symptom relief, and support for the family.

The care itself can be delivered at home, in an assisted living community, or in a skilled nursing facility. Veterans who are eligible for VA benefits may qualify for hospice at no out-of-pocket cost, and the hospice team coordinates directly with VA providers so families are not left managing the paperwork.

The VA MISSION Act of 2018 created the Veterans Community Care Program, which lets eligible veterans receive care, including hospice, from approved community providers close to home when a VA facility is far away or cannot provide the needed service. Veterans who live far from VA facilities or prefer community-based care may be eligible for hospice through this program, often administered through TriWest.

MAR Hospice Care is a veteran-owned agency and accepts TriWest healthcare coverage for veterans, in addition to Medicare and Medi-Cal. That means a veteran in our five-county service area can receive in-home hospice care from a local team while the VA pathway handles the coverage.

Yes. Medicare-eligible veterans can use the Medicare hospice benefit, which covers hospice services with no deductible and little to no out-of-pocket cost. Hospice itself is paid by one payer at a time, either the VA or Medicare.

Enrolled veterans keep their other VA benefits alongside a Medicare hospice election, and the VA can continue covering service-connected care unrelated to the hospice diagnosis. Families do not have to work out the right pathway alone: we help identify the option that serves the veteran best and handle the coordination.

The clinical criteria are the same for veterans as for every hospice patient: a terminal diagnosis with a prognosis of six months or less if the illness follows its normal course, certified by a physician. Hospice is not limited by age; veterans and non-veterans of all ages with terminal illnesses may qualify.

MAR Hospice Care provides in-home hospice care only, focused on comfort and quality of life at the end of life. Care is provided wherever the veteran lives across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Ventura, and San Bernardino Counties.