Literature Review

False Claims Act insights - the rise of state False Claims Act enforcement Husch Blackwell | Thought Leadership; podcast hosted by Jonathan Porter with Rebecca Furdek and Todd Gee; 1/12/26 Our conversation starts with an overview of state False Claims Acts and how the use of FCA varies from state to state. We examine recent settlements in Massachusetts and Minnesota that show the reach of state False Claims Acts and discuss a large District of Columbia False Claims Act settlement for tax liability that could be the next big enforcement area for state-level False Claims Acts.

Update your HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices by February 16, 2026 The National Law Review; by John D. Arendshorst , Charles M. Russman, Carolyn M. H. Sullivan, Kristy L. De Vos, Varnum LLP; 1/21/26 Whether your company provides health benefits or qualifies as a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), it is important to update your Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) by February 16, 2026, to remain HIPAA compliant. The updated requirements focus on how substance use disorder information may be used or disclosed and remove reproductive health language that was previously added but has since been revoked. ... [Additionally]:

Trends in pediatric palliative care - A newsletter Trends; by the Siden Research Team; 1/20/26 In 2024 TRENDS published it’s 100th issue and enrolled its 1000th newsletter subscriber, the newsletters growth shows no signs of stopping. The Siden Research Team continues to center ways to foster the pediatric palliative care community and ultimately improve care for our patients. ... ith no journal dedicated to pediatric palliative care, finding relevant articles required scouring pediatric journals for palliative literature and palliative journals for paediatric literature – clearly there was a gap in effective dissemination of relevant articles. ... The Siden Research Team took initiative to bridge this gap. In June 2016 the first search and resulting citation list was compiled.

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!

Home care crisis drives innovation for aging in place HousingWire; by Jonathan Delozier; 1/14/26 A growing shortage of home care workers threatens older Americans’ ability to age in place. Low wages, high turnover and limited benefits leave families struggling. Worker-owned co-ops, digital registries and specialized training improve retention, pay and patient outcomes, offering promising solutions amid rapidly rising demand for home health and personal care aides.

Tuesday Health and Buckeye Health Plan partner to bring palliative care for Ohioans with serious  illness PR Newswire, Columbus, OH; by Tuesday Health; 1/20/26 Tuesday Health and Buckeye Health Plan, a company of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), today announced a new partnership to bring expanded palliative care to Ohioans living with serious illness. The program, launched on January 1, 2026, is designed to help members and their caregivers manage complex health needs, reduce avoidable hospital visits, and receive compassionate care in person and virtually. Through this collaboration, eligible Buckeye members will gain access to Tuesday Health's interdisciplinary care team, including nurses, social workers, nurse practitioners and physicians. 

How hospice social workers create everyday moments that matter Severna Park Voice, Severna Park, MD; by Chris Gooding, LCSW-C, social worker Hospice of the Chesapeake; 1/15/26  There are many moving stories about how a hospice social worker helped a patient get married or take that one last trip to the ocean. These are impactful, memory-making moments that go a long way to honor the patient’s final wishes while helping a family heal after they’re gone. But I’m not going to share those kinds of moments. I’m going to share moments like helping the patient make a phone call to an estranged family member - or giving them permission to not make that phone call. Counseling a daughter whose mother no longer knows who she is due to dementia. These are moments that matter, everyday moments, that are nurtured by a hospice social worker. 

Agrace announces revolutionary dementia village: America's first Hogeweyk-inspired community redefining memory care PR Newswire, Madison, WI; by Agrace; 1/20/26 Agrace ... today announced plans to build the Ellen & Peter Johnson Dementia Village at Agrace, the first Hogeweyk-inspired dementia care community of its kind in the United States. ... Breaking ground this spring, the $40 million project represents a complete reimagining of dementia care in America, drawing inspiration from the Netherlands' internationally acclaimed Hogeweyk Dementia Village—a model that has set a new global standard for supporting people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. ... Traditional memory care has long focused on safety and clinical oversight—priorities that matter deeply to families and caregivers alike. Yet many of these settings—shaped by institutional design and medical frameworks—can unintentionally narrow autonomy, spontaneity, and connection to ordinary life. 

Some Americans to get Social Security benefits faster under new bill Newsweek; by Suzanne Blake; 1/16/26 A new Social Security bill has been proposed that would allow some Americans to get their benefits sooner. ... Why It Matters: Traditionally, Social Security disability recipients get paid on a specific schedule monthly after waiting a five-month period to earn their benefits. However, for terminally ill beneficiaries, this five-month delay can be especially burdensome and affect their quality of life before they inevitably die from their disease.

Ethics roundtable: Prescribing controlled substances in a terminally ill patient with suspected substance abuse disorder and opioid agreement violations American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Steven J Baumrucker, MD, FAAFP, FAAHPM, HMDC, Melissa Broome, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, ACHPN, Gregory T Carter, MD, Matt Stolick, Ph.D,  Scott P Boyles, MDiv, Gregg VandeKieft, MD, MA, Andrew Wampler, JD, Lindsay Wilson, DO, FAAFP, Carolyn George, PsyD, Matthew A Murphy, MD, and Saima Rashid, MD; January 2026 This ethics roundtable examines how clinicians should navigate prescribing controlled substances for a terminally ill patient with suspected substance use disorder and opioid agreement violations. Contributors explore the ethical tension between alleviating suffering and minimizing harm, questioning how opioid agreements apply in end-of-life care and emphasizing individualized, compassionate decision-making grounded in dignity, trust, and proportional risk.

Small steps forward beat perfect plans left behind. ~ Nina Clarke

Story of Hope comfort care home holds grand opening in Chili NBC News-10, Rochester, NY (Chili, NY); by Jennifer Gan; 1/17/26 The Story of Hope Comfort Care Home officially opened its doors Saturday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 813 Marshall Road [Chili, NY]. ... Sam Savary, president of the Board of Directors, said the opening represents years of work and community support, especially since a flash flood in 2023 that almost destroyed the place. “Monday [1/19] we’re so proud to actually be taking care of our very first patient… It’s been ten years to try to get this open,” said Savary. “Just to be able to recover from the flooding, and the outpouring of community support to make sure we didn’t have to give up, that we could make this happen, it’s truly a blessing.” The home is fully funded by donations and staffed by trained volunteers and hospice nurses.

Medicare Advantage overpayments will total $76B this year: MedPAC Healthcare Dive; by Rebecca Pifer Parduhn; 1/16/26 The federal government will pay an estimated $76 billion more to cover Medicare Advantage seniors this year than it would if those same seniors were in traditional Medicare, according to new estimates from an influential advisory group. ... Still, the report released [1/16] Friday by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission is likely to add more fuel to concerns about overpayments in the privatized Medicare program, which has grown to cover more than half of all Medicare enrollees.