Literature Review

Reno Little Theater’s ‘The Quality of Life’ explores the complications of death and grief ThisIsReno, by Taylor Harker; 4/14/24Reno Little Theater’s “Quality of Life” brilliantly interweaves the lives of two families confronting profound grief and mortality. ... Together, ... two families navigate the turbulent waters of existential crises, each bringing their unique perspectives on faith, resilience and the ethics surrounding end-of-life decisions. ... “Quality of Life,” a dramatic comedy by Jane Anderson, explores how individuals and families confront and converse about death. The narrative is both tender and perceptive, delving into the internal conflicts and strong familial bonds that challenge and uphold them.

2 federal bills look to boost pipeline of healthcare workers McKnights Senior Living, by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 4/12/24 Bills introduced in both houses of Congress may bolster the healthcare workforce if they become law. Both pieces of legislation are supported by LeadingAge. The bicameral Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act is meant to address the shortage of healthcare workers across the country. Specifically, the legislation would help internationally educated healthcare workers overcome barriers to working in the United States ...

Medical marijuana program enrollments up 500% from 2016 to 2022 Green Market Report, by John Schroyer; 4/11/24The increase was partially due to a rise in mainstream "cultural acceptance of cannabis" and corresponding interest in medical uses. A new federally funded report that tallied medical marijuana patient statistics from across the country found a dramatic increase of registered cannabis patients over a seven-year period, from roughly 678,000 in 2016 to more than 4.1 million at the end of 2022.

New DOJ rules for online healthcare content make sure seniors aren’t taken offline McKnights Senior Living, by Aaron Dorman; 4/11/24The Department of Justice took steps earlier this week to help make sure old adults have appropriate access to valuable web content they need for understanding important healthcare and coverage decisions. State and government agencies, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, must abide by new technical standards, according to a new DOJ rule signed Monday [4/1/24]. “Just as stairs can exclude people who use wheelchairs from accessing government buildings,” the official rule states, “inaccessible web content and mobile apps can exclude people with a range of disabilities from accessing government services.” The technical requirements of the rule are extensive — the updated document is almost 300 pages long — but the overall purpose is to instruct agencies on their obligations to account for possible disabilities.

AHA seeks federal probe of MultiPlan, insurers Modern Healthcare, by Michael McAuliff; 4/9/24 The American Hospital Association wants the Labor Department to investigate the analytics company MultiPlan and its large insurer clients to determine whether they engage in business practices that disadvantage patients and providers. According to a New York Times investigation published Sunday, MultiPlan and customers such as UnitedHealth Group subsidiary UnitedHealthcare, CVS Health subsidiary Aetna and Cigna boost their finances by dispensing low payments to out-of-network providers and burdening patients with large bills.

Former nursing home CEO gets 2.5 years, must pay $11 million restitution for neglecting payroll taxes McKnights Long-Term Care News, by Josh Henreckson; 4/9/24The former CEO of a healthcare administrative services company was sentenced Friday to 30 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for failing to pay more than $10 million in payroll taxes at companies he owned. Josef Neuman had been CEO of a Lakewood, NJ, company that provided services to nursing homes and other healthcare providers, including around 20 that Neuman also co-owned. 

Expanding perinatal palliative care, hospice Hospice News, by Holly Vossel, 4/10/24A lack of trained staff and evolving health laws are among the leading barriers to expanding perinatal palliative and hospice care among underserved populations. ... Mistrust and fear of discrimination are among the common barriers, along with social determinants of health such as insurance coverage, socioeconomic status and transportation, according to recent analysis from researchers at the Morehouse School of Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Central Oregon hospice sues feds over challenged Medicare claims The Lund Report, by Nick Budnick; 4/11/24 One of a declining number of nonprofit hospice providers, Partners In Care leaders have successfully defended the vast majority of disputed claims, but have sued to erase the rest while challenging government methods. The case could have 'huge ramifications' and will be closely watched.

Private Equity: Proposed Health Over Wealth Act - What this means for you JD Supra, by Roger Strode; 4/11/24 On April 3, 2024, Senators Edward Markey ... and Elizabeth Warren ... chaired a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee ... titled, When Health Care Becomes Wealth Care: How Corporate Greed Puts Patient Care and Health Workers at Risk. As part of the hearing process, Senator Markey released his new legislative agenda that calls for transparency and accountability for private equity (PE) in health care. ... The bill would require PE-backed or other for-profit owned providers (those providing services covered by Medicare under 42 U.S.C. Section 1395d) such as hospitals, hospice, nursing homes, and certain other facilities[1], to annually report to HHS on all manner of things including, but not limited to ... [click on the title to link to the list].

Half a century and 4 million meals haven’t slowed down this long-term care culinary king McKnights Long-Term Care News, by Josh Henreckson; 4/10/24For almost as long as there has been a Buena Vista Care Center in Santa Barbara, CA, Miguel Pulido has been there — making sure the residents of the nursing home are fed and happy. Pulido is fast approaching his 50th anniversary on the job, and the residents and staff at Buena Vista couldn’t help but celebrate. ... Buena Vista is a 150-bed facility with twice-daily mealtimes for residents. Its leaders estimate that Pulido has served around 4 million meals during his career.

Village Hospice hosts Vietnam Veteran’s Breakfast CBS KCTV 5, Kansas City, MO; 4/10/24 Village Hospice provides many services to support their residents, including ways to honor their residents that are veterans. Jillian hears about a recent Vietnam Veterans’ Breakfast and how it celebrated Veterans living at John Knox Village. 

3 ways advance care planning empowers people TCPalm, Visiting Nurse Association, by Lauren Gruber; 4/10/24 ... National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16th, which seeks to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers on the importance of health planning, is a prime opportunity to consider enrolling in an advance care plan. Identifying the right caregiving plans may seem daunting at first, but it’s important that patients solidify an advance care plan for the security and peace of mind of themselves and their loved ones. ... Here are three ways why choosing an advance care plan through the VNA can empower patients to ensure the best care possible during their health care journey:

AMA, AHIP, NAACOS outline value-based care best practices Modern Healthcare, by Nona Tepper; 4/10/24 Health insurers, physicians and accountable care organizations issued recommendations Wednesday outlining what they see as the best ways to boost value-based care initiatives. The report from the health insurance trade group AHIP, the American Medical Association and the National Association of ACOs focuses on total-cost-of-care contracts, ACOs that typically span three to five years and have demonstrated success improving quality and reducing costs, according to the organizations.