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A change in federal regulations means Blessing Hospital is no longer able to provide hospice care in northeast Missouri.

Blessing Hospice and Palliative Care has provided service to seven Missouri counties for the past 27 years.

On average it cares for 10 Missouri residents a day and a total of 116 patients in 2010.

KHQA's Jarod Wells found out what will happen next for people who need hospice care in northeast Missouri.

Director of Blessing Hospice & Palliative Care Jeri Conboy said, "The federal regulations that govern the provision of hospice care have changed their interpretation for the provision of hospice services across state lines."

New regulations state that in order for a hospice provider to provide services in another state different from where they have their medicare certification one of two things has to happen.

Conboy said, "Either the two states have to have a reciprocal agreement or the provider has to be medicare certified in all of the states they provide care."

Director of Blessing Hospice and Palliative Care Jeri Conboy says the states of Illinois and Missouri do not have a "reciprocal agreement" and have shown no interest in developing one. That means the only option Blessing had to continue service in northeast Missouri would be to establish a separate entity that is certified, licensed and based in Missouri.

Conboy said, "Based on all the information we had available that just wasn't a feasible option for our organization."

As of this past Monday, Blessing Hospice & Palliative Care will no longer admit new patients from Missouri.

Conboy said, "However, the patients that we currently have in Missouri, we're in the process of making a transition plan with them so that they will continue to receive the hospice care that they need."

There are other hospice providers that serve the areas of northeast Missouri that Blessing Hospice and Palliative Care served.

Conboy said, "We have served a little corner of northeast Missouri and there are other hospice providers that serve those areas and we have been in touch with them and we are working with our patients to transfer their care to those providers if that's what they choose to do."

In the future, when Blessing Hospice and Palliative Care receives referrals from people in need of hospice care in northeast Missouri, they will be forwarded on to providers that serve that area.

Click here to read the full release  from Blessing Hospital.