• Idaho Home Health and Hospice honors their veteran community and spouses this Veterans Day
• Hospice of Texarkana Care-a-Van brings Veterans Day salute to veterans 
• Mt. Hood Hospice joins the Sandy Senior Center to honor local veterans with a ceremony
• Pinning ceremony honored [ Hospice of Michigan]
• Veterans: Service doesn’t end when active duty does [Speaker, Valley Hospice Inc. volunteer]
• [Parkview Hospice] Dressed in blue: A Marine's final wish 
• Santa Cruz County honors armed service members at veterans building ceremony [with Hospice of Santa Cruz County]
• Good Shepherd Hospice honors those who served
• Pathways Hospice honors veterans at Delmar Gardens Retirement Living and Senior Care Services 
• Remarkable Hospice and Parc at Traditions honor veterans
• TCN's Anatomy of Leadership podcast with David Levy, Professor of Management at the United States Air Force Academy: Caring for Others with David Levy - Every Interaction is an Opportunity 

Editor's note: Click here for the United States Veterans Administration webpage about hospice care. Of note, it references the "Bereaved Family Survey Scores for Hospice Care" in VA Community Living Centers and Non-VA Settings."

Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group's $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys 
The Minnesota Star Tribune; by The Associated Press; 11/12/24 
The Justice Department is suing to block UnitedHealth Group's $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys, citing concerns the combination would hinder access to home health and hospice services in the U.S. The antitrust complaint was filed in Maryland federal court Tuesday. In a statement, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the government is challenging UnitedHealth and Amedisys' proposed merger because ''patients and their families experiencing some of the most difficult moments of their lives deserve affordable, high quality care options.'' The suit follows UnitedHealth's acquisition of LHC Group Inc., another home health and hospice provider. Since that transaction's completion last year, the Justice Department said, UnitedHealth and Amedisys have emerged as the two largest providers of home health and hospice care in the country. The department argues that eliminating competition between UnitedHealth and Amedisys ''would harm patients who receive home health and hospice services, insurers who contract for home health services, and nurses who provide home health and hospice services.'' 

Balancing work, life and whatever is in between 
McKnights Senior Living; guest column by Rebekah Bray, LNHA; 11/11/24 
Defining our work and lives as separate entities implies that one should not affect the other. For balance, opposing forces must be equal and not influence each other. In actuality, our careers and our home lives have been begrudgingly unifying for years.  ... Late night and weekend hours somehow have become a badge of honor that demonstrates a commitment to the senior living community or long-term care facility, with the thinking that no one else will possibly be able to achieve it. Endless hours are not sustainable and, simultaneously, a baseline has been developed that tireless commitment is the bare minimum. ... [People] in leadership positions in healthcare seldom are given the luxury to unplug, mentally or physically, due to the endless cycle of problems, including staffing, changes to regulations, revenue and day-to-day operations. Many leaders consider it a sacrifice that comes with the job of leadership. ... 
Editor's note: Work-life balance continues to be a trend in reasons for retention, unionization, strikes, and more. More significantly--in the midst of your important work as leader--this is your life. This is your time to create and navigate relationships, work, and more. Tapping into your passion for end-of-life care, what will be your joys and regrets when you are receiving palliative and hospice care? What kinds of grief care will your family need after your death?

Startup Guaranteed looks to improve end-of-life care 
Healthcare Brew; by Cassie McGrath; 11/6/24 
After losing her father, Jessica McGlory founded a startup to improve end-of-life care. In August 2019, Jessica McGlory got a call that her father had had a double heart attack and was admitted to a hospital in Chicago. As his health declined, McGlory became his caregiver and healthcare proxy. But she said she never got the opportunity to discuss her father’s end-of-life care or his wishes. “I thought it was going to be an opportunity to really focus on my loved one, but instead, [I] had to focus on everything else and really didn’t get the support [I] expected from the hospice,” she told Healthcare Brew. Hospice is palliative care that typically includes counseling, physical care, medicine, and equipment for patients with terminal illnesses. Two years later, despite having no previous experience in healthcare, McGlory decided to take action. In 2022, she launched Guaranteed, a New York-based hybrid end-of-life care startup that works to support people with terminal illness as well as their loved ones and caregivers. ... Guaranteed has raised $10 million to date and is looking to expand into three more states next year, she said.

Kaiser keeps cutting costs to stem operating losses 
Modern Healthcare; by Caroline Hudson; 11/8/24 
Kaiser Permanente has continued implementing cost-cutting measures in an attempt to quell losses stemming in part from high medical expenses. ... Oakland, California-based Kaiser reported a $608 million operating loss in the third quarter, compared with a $156 million gain in the year-ago period. Net income was $845 million in the third quarter, compared with $239 million a year ago. CEO Greg Adams said in a news release he remains confident in Kaiser's integrated model and thinks it helps the health system navigate changes in the operating environment. Kaiser reported a $13 million gain in the quarter related to the Geisinger Health acquisition earlier this year. Kaiser Foundation Hospitals acquired Geisinger in April and folded it into Risant Health, a new nonprofit formed to create a national value-based care network. Washington, D.C.-based Risant is tasked with acquiring a handful of other systems to add to the network. In June, Risant announced plans to buy Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina, as part of a deal expected to close next year.

How health system palliative providers can leverage data to gain more resources 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 11/12/24 
Palliative care clinicians in health systems can apply research to lobby administrators for additional resources. In doing so, they may get a profile boost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Palliative care’s reputation grew during the pandemic, with more patients and health care organizations recognizing its benefits and value. Stakeholders can leverage this in discussions with organization leaders, according to Dr. Tamara Vesel, chief of the Palliative Care Division at Tufts Medical Center and associate professor of medicine and pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine. ... When approaching organization leaders to advocate for palliative care, the importance of data cannot be overstated, according to study co-author Dr. Bernice Burkarth, chief medical officer of Tufts Medicine Care at Home and assistant professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine.
Editor's note: Reminder, our newsletter's Saturday edition always compiles relevant, timely research articles for you. To me, the word "research" means to "re-search," as in to search again--now--for the best information and appliciations available, today. We do alot of the work for you, re-searching and re-searching topics, pairing timely hospice and palliative challenges with formal research's background needs, research methods, data, references, conclusions, applications, and needs for further examination. 

Palliative care, ACO collaborations fuel ‘historical savings’ in MSSP Program 
Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 11/11/24 
Palliative care providers that form collaborative partnerships with Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) may be lending to a landmark downward trend in health care spending in the value-based payment landscape. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that its Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) yielded more than $2.1 billion net savings in 2023 — the largest amount in the program’s inception more than a decade ago, according to the agency. ACOs participating in MSSP earned an estimated $3.1 billion in shared savings payments during the program’s 2022 to 2023 performance year, the highest dollar amount thus far, CMS reported. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Medicare premiums increasing in 2025 
Fox 29 Philadelphia; by Megan Ziegler; 11/12/24
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced this month that standard monthly premiums for its Part B plan are increasing by about 6% in the new year. The jump outpaces both inflation and the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) recently announced by Social Security. Inflation was up in September about 2.4% from a year ago, and the COLA increase is set for 2025 at 2.5%, which is estimated to be about $48. ... The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees is increasing next year to $185, an increase of $10.30, or just less than 6%, from $174.70 in 2024, the CMS announced. The annual deductible for all Medicare Part B beneficiaries is also increasing by $17 to $257. 

ACA's future in Trump's 2nd term: 17 things to know 
Becker's Hospital Review; by Laura Dyrda; 11/8/24 
The Affordable Care Act has been through many iterations since being signed into law in 2010. Donald Trump's second presidential term could bring about more changes. The New York Times gathered perspective from experts across the political spectrum to outline what could happen next based on limited information from the campaign trail and Mr. Trump's historical view of the ACA. Here are 17 key points. 

1. Renewed ACA reform momentum. ...
2. Possible ACA repeal. ...
3. Subsidy expiration. ...
4. Potential decrease in ACA enrollment. ...
5. Possible ACA enrollment restrictions. ...
6. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

‘Everything is lining up’: Home-based care M&A expected to soar in near-term future 
Home Health News; by Audrie Martin; 11/11/24 
Home health, home care and hospice M&A was historically high in 2021, with high valuations serving sellers and solid return on investment serving buyers. Transactions plummeted after that, but recent signs suggest M&A is beginning to pick back up across sectors. ... Sellers should expect questions about employee retention, the company’s track record of growth after M&A and whether their leadership has done due diligence before entering the race. ... Experts predict that large, founder-led home health and hospice businesses will be in high demand in the coming year. Larger home care companies, especially those that are Medicaid-funded, will also be in demand. 

Cigna ends Humana merger talks, prioritizes share buybacks 
Modern Healthcare - Insurance; by John Lauerman, Bloomberg; 11/11/24 
Cigna Group said it won’t pursue a combination with rival insurer Humana Inc. after reports the two companies had renewed discussions of a deal. The company “remains committed to its established M&A criteria and would only consider acquisitions that are strategically aligned, financially attractive, and have a high probability to close,” according to a statement Monday. Cigna shares jumped by 8% in premarket trading, while shares in Humana dropped by 7%. The two health insurance giants, with a combined market value of roughly $125 billion, held talks about a deal last year, but Cigna walked away after the two companies failed to agree on a price, Bloomberg News reported in December.   

WellSky acquires leading durable/home medical equipment software provider Bonafide, enhancing home care solutions 
Healthcare IT Today; by Healthcare IT News; 11/12/24 
WellSky, a leading health and community care technology company, announced today that it has acquired Bonafide, an enterprise software solution for durable medical equipment (DME) and home medical equipment (HME) companies. With the addition of Bonafide, WellSky expands its footprint in DME/HME and will serve more providers with an integrated software platform that allows them to run their businesses compliantly, efficiently, and profitably. DME/HME is a rapidly growing segment in the healthcare industry, driven by the increasing demand for patient-centered care in the home. Bonafide has built a fully integrated enterprise workflow management platform that combines billing, revenue cycle management, resupply, supply chain, inventory management, mobile delivery, and more to help DME/HME providers accelerate growth. The company serves 200 clients, including some of the largest and fastest-growing DME/HME providers.

Older Americans living alone often rely on neighbors or others willing to help 
California Healthline; by Judith Graham; 11/12/24
Donald Hammen, 80, and his longtime next-door neighbor in south Minneapolis, Julie McMahon, have an understanding. Every morning, she checks to see whether he’s raised the blinds in his dining room window. If not, she’ll call Hammen or let herself into his house to see what’s going on. Should McMahon find Hammen in a bad way, she plans to contact his sister-in-law, who lives in a suburb of Des Moines. That’s his closest relative. Hammen never married or had children, and his younger brother died in 2022. Although Hammen lives alone, a web of relationships binds him to his city and his community — neighbors, friends, former co-workers, fellow volunteers with an advocacy group for seniors, and fellow members of a group of solo agers. ... American society rests on an assumption that families take care of their own. But 15 million Americans 50 and older didn’t have any close family — spouses, partners, or children — in 2015, the latest year for which reliable estimates are available. Most lived alone. By 2060, that number is expected to swell to 21 million. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]
Editor's note: This important article references (1) "a noteworthy study published by researchers at Emory University" titled "Solo but not alone," which we will include in a Saturday research issue and (2) an AAPR survey that gives the name "solo agers." I give a shout-out to the visionary "Living Alone Program" back in 1993 at Hospice of Louisville (now Hosparus), and to all hospices who deliver creative, quality care to persons who live alone.

Ascension president addresses UN on cyberattacks 
Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 11/11/24 
Eduardo Conrado, president of St. Louis-based Ascension, discussed the health system's May ransomware attack at a Nov. 8 United Nations Security Council meeting. The council met to discuss strategies for countering cyberattacks in healthcare, according to a Nov. 8 news release from the U.N. Ascension's response to the May 8 ransomware attack cost the health system approximately $130 million. The attack forced its hospitals and clinics off its EHR system and disrupted key diagnostic services, including MRIs and CT scans. ... "Overnight, nurses were unable to quickly look up patient records from the computer stations and were forced to comb through paper back-ups for patient medical history and medications," Mr. Conrado said at the meeting.  ... A comprehensive approach is key, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, director-general of the World Health Organization, told the U.N. "Countries should invest not only in technologies for detecting and mitigating cyberattacks but in training staff to respond to them," he added ...

You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. ~ by Indira Gandhi