MediCaring

A new kind of care

Hospice of the Valley is the only hospice in Arizona chosen to participate in a national Medicare model program measuring ways to improve quality of care, lower cost, and decrease hospital stays through collaboration with community physicians.

Under current Medicare rules, Medicare beneficiaries must stop curative care with their primary care doctor and specialists to get hospice care.

But the new program, called the Medicare Care Choices Model, allows Medicare beneficiaries to get both curative and hospice care if they wish. The thought is that more people will get the comfort care hospice provides if they don’t have to give up treatment.

Hospice of the Valley calls the program MediCaring. It starts Jan. 1, 2018, and lasts three years.