Anyone may make a referral to Hospice care. To qualify for hospice services, the patient's physician must be willing to certify that, given the normal course of the disease, life expectancy is six months or less. If the patient should outlive the six-month prognosis, services can continue so long as the patient's doctor and the hospice medical director agree that the patient is still appropriate for hospice care.

In order to qualify for hospice care the prospective patient and/or family must live within the hospice service area and desire a palliative treatment plan. Patients are admitted regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, sex or national origin.