Literature Review

Health brief: Hospice purge ensnares legitimate providers Washington Post Intelligence; by Megan R. Wilson; 6/15/26

‘Unmet needs’: Clinicians agree spiritual care important in cancer, but do not provide it Healio; by Josh Friedman; 6/17/26 Most clinicians agree that spiritual care is “essential” to taking care of patients with cancer, but only a fraction routinely screen for distress. In a survey of nearly 700 oncologists, hematologists and palliative care clinicians, more than 90% agreed spiritual suffering can negatively affect outcomes, yet many of those respondents reported screening should not be part of their professional role, and less than 15% said they always screened for spiritual distress.

1776-1786: 250 Years - A History of CareHospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy Berger; for 6/10/26Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

The collusion in discussing prognosis with cancer patients MedPage Today's KevinMD.com; by Kyle Edmonds, MD; 6/14/26 Two people sit in an exam room. One has an illness that will end their life. The other knows. Neither wants to say it out loud, so neither does. The conversation drifts toward next steps (another scan, another line of therapy, another visit on the calendar), and both leave the room feeling that it went well. This is not a thought experiment. In 2012, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study by Jane Weeks and colleagues that should have changed practice overnight. ... That was 2012. Same finding turned up again recently: 986 advanced cancer patients, 74 percent still misperceiving their treatment’s intent. The pattern is alive and well.

During Garden Grove evacuations, did seniors and people with disabilities get out safely? The Almanac; by Kelley Barrett; 6/16/26 When officials ordered tens of thousands of residents to evacuate during the Garden Grove chemical emergency in Orange County last month, the instruction sounded simple: leave now. But for many Californians, leaving is not simple. For some, it is impossible without help. Think about the bedridden senior who relies on a caregiver to be turned, cleaned, fed and medicated. What happens to the disabled resident whose power wheelchair cannot fit in a regular car, the hospice patient on oxygen, or the medically fragile person who cannot safely sit for hours in a crowded shelter?

Tuesday Health brings community-based palliative care to Massachusetts in partnership with Commonwealth Care AllianceNEWSnet PR Newswire, Boston, MA; Press Release by Tuesday Health; 6/16/26Tuesday Health announced a partnership with Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA) to deliver community-based palliative care to eligible members across Massachusetts, effective July 1, 2026. The partnership expands access to relationship-based care for individuals who are dual eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and enrolled in CCA’s Senior Care Options (SCO) and One Care programs. ... Tuesday Health delivers evidence-based, provider-led palliative care wherever patients call home, through interdisciplinary teams of nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, and physicians. 

CHAP: CMS posts Accrediting Organizations (AOs) Oversight Final Rule with Comment Community Health Accreditation Partner; Press Release; 6/16/26 Medicare Program; Strengthening Oversight of Accrediting Organizations (AOs) and Preventing AO Conflicts of Interest, and Related Provisions was posted on the Federal Register Public Inspection desk on 6/12/2026 and is estimated to post in the Federal Register on June 16, 2026. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will accept comments related to the proposed rule through August 15, 2026, 11:59 pm. Information about submitting comments appears at the beginning of the rule. This final rule is effective June 16, 2027.

Indian Health Service receives gift membership to expand training for serious illness care U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | Indian Health Service | The Federal Health Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives; Press Release; 6/16/26 The Indian Health Service (IHS) has received a two-year membership to the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) through a grant-funded initiative, expanding access to training and resources that support care for patients with serious illness. Through this gifted membership, targeted IHS workforce development participants, including Models of Care initiatives and clinical training programs, will gain access to CAPC’s comprehensive library of web-based courses, tools, webinars, and expert support. 

NPHI calls for thoughtful hospice payment reform that rewards high-quality care National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), Washington, DC; Press Release; 6/16/26The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI)is calling for thoughtful modernization of the Medicare Hospice Benefit while raising concerns about recommendations contained in a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that could fundamentally alter the hospice benefit and potentially lead to substantial changes in provider reimbursement. NPHI is exploring potential reforms to the current hospice payment structure, including steps to reduce incentives for bad actors and poor-quality care by lowering the hospice aggregate cap, and reallocating dollars within the existing payment methodology to better compensate high-quality, mission-driven providers caring for the sickest patients. NPHI believes these types of reforms would better align reimbursement with patient needs, preserve the core principles of hospice care, and encourage providers to deliver care based on patient need rather than financial incentives. ...

1776-1786: 250 Years - A History of CareHospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy Berger; for 6/10/26Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Vance’s fraud task force is sweeping up legitimate small businesses The Washington Post, Washington, DC; by Isaac Arnsdorf; 6/15/26 The vice president and other officials have downplayed evidence of collateral damage in their crackdown on fraudulent hospices. In April, when the Trump administration began suspending about 800 hospices in the Los Angeles area suspected of fraud, a small local agency started accepting patients from the affected providers. The owner never thought he would be next. ... “The Trump administration is taking a pretty aggressive tactic here, but the downside is you’re often going to catch up legitimate actors because you’re not really taking the time to do your due diligence,” said Hillary Loeffler, vice president of policy and regulatory affairs for the National Alliance for Care at Home, an industry group, who worked on hospice issues at CMS until 2025.

If a woman doesn't look like a goddess during labor, then someone isn't treating her right. ~ Ina May Gaskin

The pain of caring for a parent who abused youDNYUZ; 6/16/26 It started in January 2024, with a call from her father’s eye doctor. Did Carole know that Andre was still driving, even though his vision was so poor? Even though it was illegal to drive with eyesight so bad? Well, no, she didn’t; she made a point not to know this sort of thing about her father. Also, she didn’t really care. Still, Carole drove to his house, on the outskirts of Santa Rosa, Calif., down long dirt roads surrounded by vineyards. ... And there was her father, 93, standing by the front door, on that filthy rug, next to the maroon-colored walker that he hated to use. Looking small, looking weathered. ...