Would a person with ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease) automatically be accepted as a hospice patient?

I have a friend in the Lodi, CA area whose daddy has ALS. She said he did not qualify for Hospice Services until he was 6 months from his "expiration date"????? Here in Alabama, ALS is automatic justification for hospice service as it is always a terminal illness, symptoms, pain, and disabilities are constantly changing, and the families/caregivers are in dire need of help!!!!! How can Hospice refuse to help such a patient/family going through the most horrible disease ever!!!????????