Literature Review

Navigating the Future: HOPE, Wage Index, and CMS Quality Measures Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN; podcast by Chris Comeaux with Annette Kiser and Judi Lund Person; 5/21/25 What happens when ancient philosophical questions about "the good life" collide with modern healthcare regulations?  In this compelling episode of TCNtalks, host Chris Comeaux welcomes Hospice leaders Annette Kiser, Chief Compliance Officer with Teleios, and Judi Lund Person, Principal, Lund Person & Associates LLC,  for a deep dive into the regulatory crossroads facing hospice providers. In this episode,  we discuss the FY 2026 Proposed Rule, which focused on implementing the HOPE initiative, and two RFIs (Requests for Information) that were part of it. 

[Australia] Overtreatment of older people near end of life: A qualitative scoping review of modalities, drivers, and solutionsOmega-Journal of Death and Dying; Samantha Fien, Emily Plunkett, Daniel Wadsworth, Magnolia Cardona; 4/24This study aimed to understand the drivers better to help minimise further risks of overtreatment for older people near the end of life (dysthanasia). Determinants included healthcare system factors, patient-centered care, family and caregiver, and clinician perspectives. This review confirms that despite almost two decades of recognition of the potential harms of overtreatment near the end of life, society, patients, and health systems have a role to play in reducing and addressing the determinants. We offer a range of solutions for clinicians, health service managers, and members of the public to consider.

Proposed bill would require MA to pay for hospice care Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/21/25 Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) has introduced the Medicare Advantage Reform Act, which among other provisions would require health plans to pay for hospice care. If enacted, the bill, numbered H.R. 3467, would make wholesale changes to the Medicare Advantage program. It would mandate capitated payment models, change risk adjustment methodologies and create new exemptions for physician self-referrals, among other provisions. The potential impacts of moving hospice into Medicare Advantage at this time would be “devastating,” according to the National Alliance for Care at Home. 

Home health use remains high among beneficiaries with dementia, study findsMcKnight's Home Care; by Adam Healy; 5/19/25Medicare beneficiaries who have dementia increasingly are using home healthcare, according to a new study published Friday in JAMA Network Open... Home health utilization increased by roughly 17% among beneficiaries with dementia between 2010 and 2019 and decreased slightly between 2020 and 2022, the study found. Beneficiaries with dementia were also more likely to initiate home healthcare from community-dwelling settings, rather than from post-acute care settings.

A narrative review—Characterizing palliative care curriculum aimed at high school adolescents and young adultsIllness, Crisis and Loss; by Austin B. Elder; 4/25The aim of this narrative review is to explore the characteristics of palliative care curriculum developed for high school adolescent and young adults (AYAs). Characteristics including a variety of designs, methods, and strategies were all identified to have positive participation, feedback, and experiences from high school AYA being provided palliative care curriculum. Conclusions: The literature indicates that the use of subject matter experts within palliative care curriculum for high school students is a core characteristic in meeting the World Health Organizations recommendation to embed palliative care curriculum into public awareness strategies.

The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. ~Henry David Thoreau

Best Places to Work in Healthcare - 2025 Modern Healthcare; 5/12/25 Modern Healthcare is proud to present the 150 companies and organizations that have been named to its Best Places to Work in Healthcare for 2025. The recognition program honors employers that empower workers to provide patients and customers with the best possible care, products and services. An alphabetical list is provided ... Modern Healthcare will reveal the ranked order Oct. 8 at the Best Places to Work in Healthcare Gala in Nashville and also in an Oct. 13 magazine supplement. [Hospice organizations include the following:]

[UK] An exploration of perceived impact of receiving complementary therapies on service users during the palliative and end-of-life care phaseInternational Journal of Palliative Nursing; Jason Vickers, Brian Nyatanga, Hayley Holden; 4/25Background: To explore and understand the narratives of service users in the hospice setting regarding the value they place on complementary therapies and their perceived impact on overall wellbeing. The benefits derived from complementary therapy sessions include managing anxiety and stress, developing better sleep strategies and devising coping techniques for personal situations and contexts through guided discussions and personal reflection. 

Care transformation in palliative care: Leveraging a payor-provider partnership to fast-track growth of a palliative programJournal of Palliative Medicine; Emily Jaffe, Emily Hobart, Alexandra Aiello, Amber Shergill, Amanda Harpster-Hagen, Tyson S. Barrett; 5/25This study describes a unique partnership between an insurer and a provider to enhance the quality, availability, and access to palliative services. A retrospective cohort analysis of insurance claims data for patients receiving palliative care compared to a matched cohort not receiving palliative care services from 2019 through 2022. Outcomes demonstrated a total savings of $4,526,408 through reductions in costs for the treatment group compared to the control group for total cost of care ...., inpatient stays ($5,672 ... ) , outpatient visits ($229 ... ), professional claims ($1,243 ... ), and pharmacy fills ($17 ... ). The treatment group had lower skilled nursing facility ($1,049 ... ) and inpatient rehabilitation facility ($216 ... ) costs. The treatment group had higher rates of hospice care (83.7% in the treatment compared to 50.2% ... ) but had lower lengths of stay (four days compared to five ... ).Conclusions: Collaborative investment in a palliative program by a payor and provider system shows significant financial savings for an insurer when patients receive evidence-based palliative care near the end of life.

Palliative care in acute care surgery: research challenges and opportunitiesTrauma Surgery Acute Care Open; by Amelia W Maiga, Vanessa Ho, Rachel S Morris, Lisa M Kodadek, Thaddeus J Puzio, Gail T Tominaga, Masami Tabata-Kelly, Zara Cooper; 3/25Acute care surgeons routinely care for individuals who may benefit from palliative care. Patients exposed to traumatic injury, emergency surgical conditions, major burns and/or critical surgical illness are more likely to be experiencing a serious illness than other hospitalized patients. This narrative review summarizes the current state of research challenges and opportunities to address palliative care in acute care surgery.

Trends in the use of advance care planning and cognitive assessment and care planning service visits: Moving toward a palliative-informed approach for ambulatory care of community-dwelling persons with dementia and their caregiversAlzheimer's & Dementia; by Jennifer B Seaman, Yurun Cai, Dianxu Ren; 4/25Both the advance care planning (ACP) visit and cognitive assessment and care planning service (CAACPS) visit offer palliative-oriented care for persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD); however, the rate of ACP visits remains low, and little has been reported regarding CAACPS visits. Furthermore, few reports describe use of either visit among Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries. Discussion: Few MA beneficiaries with ADRD received ACP or CAACPS visits, and the delivery of CAACPs visits is similar to that reported for non-MA beneficiaries.

The 2016 CDC Opioid Guideline and analgesic prescribing patterns in older adults with cancerJAMA Network Open; Rebecca Rodin, MD, MSc; Lihua Li, PhD; Karen McKendrick, MPH; Krista Harrison, PhD; Lauren J. Hunt, PhD, RN; Ulrike Muench, PhD, RN; Cardinale B. Smith, MD, PhD; Melissa D. Aldridge, PhD, MPH, MBA; R. Sean Morrison, MD; 5/25In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published guidelines cautioning against prescribing opioids for chronic noncancer pain. In this cohort study of older adults with cancer, the 2016 CDC guideline was associated with a decline in first-line opioids while less-safe tramadol and less-effective gabapentinoid prescribing continued to rise. Further revision of the recent 2022 CDC guideline and oncology pain management guidelines may be needed to help address these potentially inappropriate analgesic shifts.

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