Literature Review

Momentum builds on Capitol Hill to strengthen Medicare American Medical Association (AMA); by Tanya Albert Henry; 6/8/26 AMA-backed bill targets budget rules that trigger across-the-board physician payment cuts and threaten access to care. CMS eases Medicare claims process. Physicians are gaining ground in efforts to change federal policy that has contributed to Medicare rates falling about 33% since 2001 when adjusted for inflation. A bipartisan bill—one of several the AMA has supported in its multipronged effort to improve the Medicare physician payment system—was recently introduced in the House of Representatives and it aims to overhaul the Medicare Incentive-based Payment System (MIPS) to make it more efficient, useful and fair for participating physicians. 

When it’s time to die: the need for palliative care training Psychology Today; by Shannon F.R. Small, MD; 6/1/26 It's important to know how to discuss death in surgical care. Have you ever had to tell someone that they are dying? ... In my field of trauma and surgical critical care, and in many other surgical specialties, such as surgical oncology, transplant surgery, or cardiothoracic surgery, the word death must not be seen as taboo. Helping patients and their families cope with the possibility of dying is increasingly recognized as crucial to surgical training, as evidenced by one study, which had greater than 90% of the faculty reporting that the graduating chief residents needed more training in conducting goals of care and end of life conversations.

VITAS CEO: CMS’ national moratorium disappointing Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/5/26 The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) national moratorium on home health and hospice enrollment is “disappointing,” according to VITAS Healthcare CEO Joel Wherley. ... “Our stance and position in working with [CMS Administrator] Dr. Oz and their group is that we are extremely supportive,” VITAS CEO Joel Wherley said at the RBC Capital Markets Global Healthcare Conference. “What we are disappointed in is the broad brush approach they decided to take nationally in announcing the hospice moratorium. We would much more prefer a targeted specific approach where they’ve identified areas of fraud and work specifically then with local and state governments to weed out that fraud.”

 The impact of assisted dying legislation on nursing practice in palliative care: a scoping review Journal of Advanced Nursing; by Marlene Werner, Christiane Kreyer, Sabine Pleschberger; 6/5/26 Aim: To review the literature on the state of research on the impacts of assisted dying on nursing practice within specialised palliative care. Results: Fifteen studies published between 2019 and 2024, all from Canada or the United States, met the inclusion criteria. Three themes were identified: (1) positioning and meaning, describing how nurses are required to position themselves and to renegotiate their values; (2) impact on core competencies, capturing changes in key nursing responsibilities; and (3) challenges in interpersonal relationships, referring to increased team conflicts and shifts in relationships with patients and their families. 

HopeHealth receives $200K grant to expand community engagement efforts Providence Business News, Providence, RI; by PBN Staff; 6/7/26 HopeHealth, the second-oldest hospice organization in the country, says it has received a $200,000 grant from Papitto Opportunity Connection to support the launch of a new community engagement program aimed at connecting underserved people with grief support, palliative care services and end-of-life care through hospice. The aims of the new program include building awareness of the benefits of palliative care, hospice, grief support and family caregiver support.

Father with terminal illness fights to attend MHSAA championship to see son play Northeaset Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo, MS; by Caleb McCluskey; 6/6/26 From the time Carter Barefoot, 17, could walk, he was playing baseball, especially with his father, Alan Barefoot, who played Division I baseball in college. But illness has limited his father’s ability to enjoy the game they have shared throughout their lives. ... “He never missed a game,” Carter said. After doctors diagnosed Alan, 55, with terminal cancer and admitted him to Sanctuary Hospice, he physically could not be there for most of Carter’s junior-year season. Sanctuary made it happen, arranging for Alan to attend the playoffs in Pearl, where he watched his son’s Mooreville team become Class 4A state champion. It meant the world to Carter to see his dad there. 

Nevada Health Authority announces pause on new state licenses for hospice, home-health services as officials investigate possible Medicaid fraud KLAS, Las Vegas; by Linsey Lewis; 6/5/26 The Nevada Health Authority announced a temporary pause on new state licenses for hospice and home-health services as state officials conduct “extensive” reviews of all Medicaid-enrolled hospice and home-health providers to identify cases of fraud. The pause on new state licenses for hospice and home-health providers and a moratorium on new enrollments for Nevada Medicaid come as fraud in the hospice and home-healthcare spaces garners national attention with high-dollar crimes from Medicaid and Medicare billing activities and fake operations.

Central Coast VNA & Hospice expands focus on aging-in-place support as regional demand grows K99.1 XLG, Monterey, CA; by Presswire.com; 6/5/26 Central Coast VNA & Hospice, a nonprofit home healthcare organization serving Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, and South Santa Clara counties, is expanding its community education and outreach efforts around aging-in-place care services. The initiative responds to a growing number of families in the region seeking structured, professional support to help older adults live safely and independently at home, a trend observed broadly across California and the nation as the senior population continues to grow.

Sunset Nursing & Rehabilitation Center partners with Hospice & Palliative Care PRLOG - Press Release Distribution, Buffalo, NY; by Sunset Nursing & Rehabilitation Center; 6/5/26 Sunset Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Boonville, NY, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Hospice & Palliative Care, enhancing the level of care and support available to residents facing life-limiting illnesses. This collaboration introduces comprehensive hospice services within Sunset Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, ... Sunset Nursing & Rehabilitation Center provides post-hospital rehabilitation, skilled nursing care and respite care. Hospice & Palliative Care delivers specialized hospice services and is the sole provider of hospice services in Boonville, NY.

Hospice of the Valley charity art gala raises record $1.2 million Hospice of the Valley; by Lin Sue Flood; 5/21/26 The energy inside the JW Marriott Camelback Inn ballroom was electric, as a spirited crowd of 500 gathered to support Hospice of the Valley’s compassionate care and community programs. The result was a historic $1.2 million raised at this year’s charity gala: aaha! art. food. wine. ... This record-breaking night also enables Hospice of the Valley’s specialized programs to continue to expand, from dementia support to grief counseling and community education provided at no charge.

Dr. Joan Teno exposes the hidden problems with hospice ratings and quality scores | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Dr. Joan Teno; 6/3/26 What if the hospice ratings patients and families rely on don’t tell the full story?   In Part One of this thought-provoking conversation, renowned hospice researcher and policy expert Dr. Joan Teno joins Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner to unpack the hidden flaws within today’s hospice quality measurement systems. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience shaping hospice and palliative care policy, Dr. Teno explains why many publicly reported quality measures may fail to capture the true experiences of patients and families.  She discusses the challenges of transparency, the unintended consequences of current reporting systems, concerns about fraud and oversight, and how artificial intelligence could help transform the future of hospice quality measurement. 

National Alliance for Care at Home voices concerns to CMS in response to the FY 2027 Hospice Proposed Rule National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA; Press Release; 6/2/26 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) submitted comments in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Hospice Wage Index proposed rule, which proposes payment and regulatory updates under the Medicare hospice benefit. The letter states that the proposed 2.4% hospice payment update for FY 2027 will not adequately account for the cost pressures hospice providers face in today’s healthcare delivery market. ... The Alliance also raised serious concerns about the appropriateness and data accuracy related to the hospice Service and Spending Variation Index (SSVI), and recommends that CMS pause any use of the SSVI indefinitely and undertake a transparent, collaborative approach with the provider community to better target its efforts to address hospice fraud, waste, and abuse.