Literature Review

2026 health care fraud year in preview Foley Hoag LLP - White Collar Law & Investigations; by Foley Hoag LLP; 1/16/26 ... As in years past, the investigation and prosecution of health care fraud cases remains at the forefront of the federal government’s enforcement activity, though tempered by the government’s interest in a variety of non-health care enforcement, some of which we take up in forthcoming entries in our Year in Preview series. 

1 in 3 NPs and PAs switch specialties at least once in career AMA; by Kevin B. O'Reilly; 1/12/26 More than one-third of both nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) said in surveys conducted on behalf of the AMA that they have switched the specialty in which they provide care at some point during their career. While most nurse practitioners and physician assistants are trained to practice primary care, overwhelming majorities said additional formal training to gain the knowledge, acumen and skills needed to help provide care in the new specialty area was rarely pursued.Editor's Note: How does this statistic play out in your staffing? In your potential new hires? Do you ensure specialty training, advanced certifications for the palliative and hospice philosophy? Examine AMA and AAHPM for resources.

Proposed budget bill extends telehealth, hospital at home flexibilities again healthleaders; by Eric Wicklundh; 1/21/26 According to news reports Tuesday out of Washington DC, the bill, part of a package being prepared for a vote to fund government agencies and avoid a potential shutdown, would extend the telehealth flexibilities through 2027 and the AHCaH program through 2030. It would also boost this year's funding for community health centers to $6.4 billion and enable Medicare coverage for multi-cancer early detection screening tests.

HopeHealth, the 2nd hospice in the nation, celebrates 50th anniversary MassNonprofit News; Press Release; 1/20/26 HopeHealth, an early pioneer in hospice care and a leading nonprofit provider of hospice and palliative care in New England, marks its 50th anniversary this year. Founded in 1976 as Hospice Care of Rhode Island, HopeHealth was created by a group of physicians, chaplains, educators, and community advocates who believed patients and families deserved compassionate, dignified support at the end of life. ... HopeHealth became the second hospice provider in the nation. In the five decades since, HopeHealth has grown from a single community-based program into a regional nonprofit organization serving Rhode Island and Massachusetts. In addition to hospice care, it provides palliative care for patients and families living with serious illness; specialized care for dementia; support and education for family caregivers; and numerous grief support programs.Editor's Note: Congratulations and thank you--Hospice Care of Rhode Island | HopeHealth--for your groundbreaking leadership and ongoing growth in your services throughout the continuum for serious illness, palliative, hospice, and grief care!

A peer support intervention for Black family caregivers of persons living with dementia: A feasibility studyJournal of the American Geriatrics Society; by Karen O Moss, Alai Tan, Abraham A Brody, Karen Bullock, Kathy D Wright, Kimberly Johnson, Mary Beth Happ; 12/25Black family caregivers of older adults living with dementia are at high risk for physical, spiritual, and psychosocial challenges. Culturally responsive interventions are needed to address disparities in this population. The purpose of this National Institute on Aging Stage Model 1A study was to test the feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of the Peer Support for Black Family Caregivers of Persons Living with Dementia (Pair 2 Care) intervention. Pair 2 Care is a culturally responsive, non-judgmental, flexible, co-designed virtual peer support intervention in which former caregivers are paired as peer mentors with current caregivers for 6 months.  On average, participants rated their overall Pair 2 Care satisfaction as very high (4.6/5).

Nurse Honor Guard provides final salute to health care heroes Valley News Live; by Meredith Anderson; 1/16/26 Honor guard ceremonies, which are traditionally reserved for funerals held for military veterans, police officers and firefighters, are becoming more common for another group of frontline workers: nurses. The Georgia Nurse Honor Guard provides tributes to nurses who have died or are in hospice care, offering families a formal recognition of their loved one’s service to the community.

AMA ‘disappointed’ in MedPAC for backing off deeper Medicare pay reform Becker's Hospital Review; by Alan Condon; 1/15/26 The American Medical Association expressed disappointment after the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission voted Jan. 15 to recommend only a modest update to Medicare physician payments for 2027, backing away from more robust reforms it had previously supported. ... “The AMA appreciates that last year’s reconciliation bill provided a temporary 2.5 percent update for 2026; however, that increase expires in 2027,” David Aizuss, MD, chair of the AMA Board of Trustees,” said in a news release shared with Becker’s. Editor's Note: Pair this with another post in today's newsletter, Alliance responds to MedPAC vote on home health and hospice payment recommendations.

"The lack of preparation compounds provider grief": Results from a needs assessment on grief training delivered to pediatric residentsClinical Pediatrics; by Erin Hickey, Erica L Jamro; 12/25Educational interventions to prepare pediatric residents to care for grieving people are rare.  Pediatric residents completed a survey conducted from March to April 2022 that assessed their experience, attitudes, skills, and knowledge of organizational support related to caring for grieving patients and families.  Despite improvements in competence with delivering difficult news with years in residency ... , only 35.7% felt competent by PGY3/4 [post-graduate year 3]. Only 19.5% of residents overall believe adequate grief support exists within their training program. Opportunities for residents to receive formal grief training are inadequate.

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. ~Albert Einstein

[Italy] End of life with psylocibin: Research, data and experienceEmerging Trends in Drugs, Addictions, and Health; by T. Re, A. Metastasio; 12/25Throughout history, mushrooms have served as a bridge for ancient populations, guiding human beings from earthly life to the "Beyond" and allowing them to "taste" this passage during their lifetime, thereby alleviating the fear of death. Recent scientific research has revealed that these ancient practices are supported by research done by leading world universities showing the effectiveness of psilocybin mushrooms in addressing fear of death, anxiety, and existential stress. The experience of guiding a person across the bridge between life and death raises intriguing questions about the nature of consciousness, the potential for communication in "non-ordinary states of consciousness" between different realms of nature, and the possibility of transcending space and time, thereby creating a new experience and continuity between life and death. Although we advocate for a wider and more accessible of use of psylocibin in the end of life we believe that more studies are necessary to identify the subjects that would benefit the most from this practice.

Integrating compassion and policy: Highlights from IAHPC Advocacy, 2025Palliative Medicine in Practice: by Katherine Irene PettusIn 2025, the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) advanced advocacy for palliative care as an ethical, clinical, and human rights imperative. As a non-state actor in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO), the association worked across policy, faith, and professional domains to integrate palliative care into universal health coverage frameworks. This report summarizes IAHPC’s global activities from February to November 2025, including engagement at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA), collaboration with WHO and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the launch of the Leadership and Advocacy Development (LEAD2) program, and new interfaith and educational initiatives.Assistant Editor's note: As I peruse peer reviewed journals to bring you relevant and current summaries of research, I am amazed at the large number of articles published now about palliative care. It wasn't this way just a few years ago. As a long-time hospice and palliative care nurse, I am delighted to see the ground swell of interest in the principles, the need, the value, and the effectiveness of palliative care. I feel like 'We Have Arrived' (finally!). Kudos to all of you who have worked tirelessly over many years to educate professionals and the public at large, about palliative care and its virtues. I know we are not done; there is more to do. But we've come a long way baby!