Hospice of Michigan would not be able to continue its mission of caring for people at the end of life without the generous help of thousands of donors. The amount we are reimbursed from Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance companies does not cover the cost of comfort care we provide. Moreover, Hospice of Michigan's "open access" policy -- to accept all patients who need and seek our care -- means that we often serve patients who don't have insurance coverage, or whose treatment is more expensive than what other hospices provide.

Each year, Hospice of Michigan spends four to five million dollars that was not covered by insurance or reimbursed through government programs. These dollars provided treatments, medications, services, grief support and spiritual comfort to individuals and families in need - services that may not have been provided without the donations made to Hospice of Michigan.

In these times of economic uncertainty, when funding to non-profit organizations can often take a downturn in the priorities of many, Hospice of Michigan takes a proactive stance to ensure our continuum of services is not interrupted. We do so through sharing our vision with people in our communities who generously support our commitment to "open access."

We also strive to adopt effective and efficient business practices; and we work to educate legislative leaders about hospice care and the need for increased Medicare coverage for this vital service.