[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 45 (Monday, November 8, 2004)]
[Pages 2798-2799]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7843--National Hospice Month, 2004

 November 4, 2004

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    Hospice programs are a vital part of our Nation's health care 
system. They provide comfort, peace, and dignity for individuals in the 
final stage of life and their families. During National Hospice Month, 
we recognize the dedicated professionals and volunteers who provide 
hospice care, and we emphasize the importance of respecting and honoring 
life in all of its seasons.
    For many terminally ill patients, hospice care is a compassionate 
alternative to traditional care at a hospital or nursing home. Hospice 
physicians, nurses, counselors, and volunteers focus on making patients 
as comfortable as possible, while allowing patients to remain at home 
and close to their families. With comprehensive assistance, these 
caregivers help control pain and other symptoms and provide emotional 
and spiritual support to both patient and family. In 2002, according to 
the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, an estimated 
885,000 individuals were admitted to one of the over 3,000 hospice 
programs in the United States.
    My Administration has acted to strengthen and modernize Medicare for 
our seniors, and we remain committed to providing a health care system 
that meets the needs of every patient. Hospice services are covered by 
Medicare, and many States offer hospice care under their Medicaid 
programs. The Medicare legislation that I signed into law last December 
provides that Medicare will, for the first time, cover hospice 
consultation services so that terminally ill patients and their families 
will better understand end-of-life issues and care options. The 
legislation also makes the program more flexible and responsive to the 
needs of patients, allows patients to designate a nurse practitioner to 
coordinate their hospice care, and directs the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services to explore ways to make hospice care more widely 
available to beneficiaries who live in rural areas.

[[Page 2799]]

    Americans believe in the worth and dignity of every person, and we 
are promoting a culture of life in our Nation. By caring for life at 
every stage, we can create a more compassionate and merciful world.
     Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States 
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 
and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2004 as 
National Hospice Month. I encourage all our citizens to observe this 
month with appropriate programs and activities. I also ask Americans to 
recognize our health care professionals and volunteers for their 
contributions to helping those facing terminal illness receive quality 
care.
     In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of 
November, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
ninth.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 9:39 a.m., November 8, 
2004]

Note: This proclamation will be published in the Federal Register on 
November 9.