Literature Review

Size of the financial incentives in Medicare’s Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing ProgramJAMA Network Open; Robert E. Burke, Franya Hutchins, Jonathan Heintz, Syama R. Patel, Scott Appel, Julie Norman, Atul Gupta, Liam Rose, Rachel M. Werner; 9/25The Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) program seeks to reduce all-cause 30-day readmissions from SNF for traditional Medicare beneficiaries recently discharged from the hospital. Under SNF VBP, most SNFs receive a financial bonus or penalty up to 2% of their total traditional Medicare revenues each year, on the basis of their performance on 30-day readmission rates compared with other SNFs, or their own improvement in readmission rates over time. In this cohort study, we found that the size of the financial incentives at the SNF level are relatively small in terms of dollars and as a proportion of net operating income, and that most SNFs experienced substantial variability from year to year in their incentive payments. These 2 factors may have contributed to the relative lack of effectiveness of the SNF VBP program. First, if the level of the penalty is not sufficient to hire additional staff, purchase equipment (such as an x-ray machine or laboratory testing), or invest in new care processes, then SNFs will not be able to improve their ability to manage changes in patient condition. 

Palliative care at the cutting edge: Recent updates in surgical palliative careJournal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Antoinette R Esce, T J Douglas, Elizabeth Gorman, Sophia Tam, Christopher D Woodrell, Ana Berlin; 9/25Surgical patients with serious illness often experience unique clinical trajectories, systems of care, and relationships with providers. In order to meet the needs of this patient population and their care teams, hospice and palliative medicine professionals should be familiar with evolving best practices in surgical palliative care. We present the case of a geriatric trauma patient with a new diagnosis of advanced cancer cared for in a surgical intensive care unit. This example highlights important new developments in defining and supporting the geriatric trauma population, improving and expanding surgical palliative care education, and identifying which seriously ill surgical patients benefit most from palliative care interventions.

Examining public-facing hospice medical aid in dying participation policies in legalizing U.S. jurisdictionsJournal of Palliative Medicine; by Todd D. Becker, Paul Duberstein, Elizabeth A. Luth, Sanjana Kumar, Samuel Nemeth, Kira Phillips, Veda Kota, Elissa Kozlov; 9/25 Nearly 9 in 10 patients in the United States who use medical aid in dying (MAID) are enrolled in hospice. Only 39 of 724 hospices (5.4%) published a public-facing MAID participation policy. Policy availability was low even within the two jurisdictions mandating hospice online publication (0 of 52 from New Mexico [0.0%]; 14 of 389 from California [3.6%]). Moreover, even when published, policy content was highly variable and often too vague to discern which MAID-related activities were permitted. For instance, 18 of 39 policies (46.2%) did not report whether or not physicians were permitted to prescribe MAID medication. The lack of availability and specificity in hospices’ public-facing MAID participation policies may jeopardize patient access to legal end-of-life care options. 

[UK] Use of HidraWear in a malignant fungating wound at end of life: A case studyWounds UK; by Alison Schofield; 9/25Malignant wounds are a devastating complication associated with cancer, which are challenging to manage and can be distressing for patients, family members and healthcare professionals (HCPs). Management of malignant wounds can differ significantly from that of any other wound type, particularly as they often occur at end of life. Increased awareness and communication around this difficult wound type is needed, including case studies and sharing of HCPs’ experiences. This case study describes the treatment of an end-of-life patient in a hospice setting, with a challenging malignant fungating wound (MFW). This case highlights the importance of palliative symptom management and the benefits of using HidraWear in practice.

[Finland] Management of dyspnea with high-flow nasal air or fan-A randomized controlled crossover trialJournal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Sirpa Leivo-Korpela, Heidi A Rantala, Lauri Lehtimäki, Reetta P Piili, Hannele Hasala, Tarja Korhonen, Juho T Lehto; 9/25[This study aimed to] assess the effect and feasibility of HFNT [high-flow nasal therapy] with air compared to fan therapy in relieving dyspnea among non-hypoxemic patients with incurable cancer. The effect of airflow through HFNT or fan on dyspnea did not differ in non-hypoxemic patients with advanced cancer. Both therapies seemed to give slight relief on dyspnea without significant adverse events. Thus, the choice between HFNT with air or fan should be made according to the patient´s preferences.

The National Dementia Workforce Study: The plan for organization sample frames and data collectionJournal of the American Geriatrics Society; by James Wagner, Laura M Wagner, Sheryl Zimmerman, Johanna van Tyen Silbersack Hickey, Kate Stewart, Sandi Nelson, Ji Qi, Raphael Nishimura, Piotr Dworak, Margaret Hudson, Jennifer Kelley, Heidi Guyer, Amy R Pettit, Donovan T Maust, Joanne Spetz; 9/25The National Dementia Workforce Study was designed to improve our understanding of the individuals and systems who care for people with dementia, but designing and implementing such a study is challenging due to the large number of patient care organizations, clinical and direct care roles, and locations in which care is provided. While there are national sampling frames available for federally certified nursing homes (i.e., via data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services), there are no national sampling frames for assisted living communities or home care agencies. We describe the plan for sampling and recruitment procedures to be used in each stage and discuss limitations, including implications for coverage of the target population. Data collected through these surveys will be available to the research community.

Center provides hospice care options The Laker / Lutz News, New Port Richey, FL; Press Release; 10/15/25 Gulfside Healthcare Services celebrated the opening of its newest inpatient care facility Sept. 19 in New Port Richey. Guests not only toured patient rooms and family areas but also applauded the announcement of a gift by Dr. Jay Weil. The new care center will be called the Dr. Jay Weil Center for Hospice Care in honor of his generosity. Gulfside Healthcare Services celebrated the opening of its newest inpatient care facility Sept. 19 in New Port Richey. Guests not only toured patient rooms and family areas but also applauded the announcement of a gift by Dr. Jay Weil. The new care center will be called the Dr. Jay Weil Center for Hospice Care in honor of his generosity.

Medicare aborts apparent plan to pause all physician payments during shutdown MedPageToday; by Shannon Firth; 10/16/25 Amid the federal government shutdown, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday appeared to announce a pause on all Medicare payments to doctors, but then quickly backed off. An initial notice stated that CMS had instructed all Medicare Administrative Contractors to temporarily hold "all claims paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, ground ambulance transport claims, and all Federally Qualified Health Center claims" with dates of service of Oct. 1 and later. ... But within hours, the agency issued another notice saying it would only stop processing claims related to expired programs such as certain telehealth and hospital-at-home services, both of which had been expected ahead of the shutdown.

Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care unveils scholarship program for health care, social work studentsHospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/14/25 Chicago-based Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care has launched a new initiative designed to bolster its workforce. The company’s charitable arm, the Oasis Foundation, is now offering the Pathway to Purpose Scholarship, which includes $2,500 in tuition dollars for students whose lives have been shaped by hospice or palliative care. New clinicians and other interdisciplinary group members who have had past, personal experience with hospice and palliative care can enrich hospice teams, according to Toso Mohammed Haruna, content strategist for Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care. 

Understanding parts of Medicare: A through N explained U.S. News & World Report / WTOP News; 10/14/25 The alphabet soup of Medicare — multiple parts and plans, starting with A all the way through N — can be bewildering, especially for those who are newly eligible for Medicare. In this guide, we break down each part of Medicare to help you find the best health insurance fit for your needs.

If one door closes and another one opens, your house is probably haunted. ~ Unknown

Chesapeake Supportive Care and Southern Maryland House Calls partner to expand access to in-home palliative care in Calvert County Southern Maryland News Net, Chesapeake, MD; 10/16/25 Chesapeake Supportive Care (CSC), the palliative care arm of Hospice of the Chesapeake, is excited to announce a new partnership with Southern Maryland House Calls (SMHC), a trusted leader in home-based geriatric care, to enhance access to palliative care services for residents of Calvert County. ... “Southern Maryland House Calls has been an exceptional partner in caring for our shared patients,” Becky Miller, President and CEO of Hospice of the Chesapeake, said. “Together, we’re building on that relationship to help more people access the kind of care that truly improves quality of life.”