Literature Review

Increasing Medicaid rates: A critical step to support home-based care Association Press, North Salt Lake, UT; by Business Wire; 1/14/25To address the growing challenges facing the healthcare system, the Homecare and Hospice Association of Utah (HHAU) calls for an urgent increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers, Private Duty Nursing (PDN), and Home Health. These critical services form the backbone of home-based care, enabling individuals to receive the medical attention and support they need in their homes, while saving tax dollars and alleviating strain on hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Kōkua Mau, Hawaii, Medicaid Palliative Care Services BenefitHawaiʻi is the first state to comprehensively cover palliative care services for its Medicaid beneficiaries, by adding community palliative care as a preventive service in its Medicaid state plan. Since the memo has been published we are now moving into the implementation phase. This novel SPA (State Plan Amendment) is the result of multi-stakeholder collaboration over many years. It serves as a road map for other states exploring new ways to pay for interdisciplinary, community-based palliative care.

Uruguay’s iconic ex-President Jose Mujica says his cancer has spread and that he’s dying Associated Press - World News, Santiago, Chile; by Nayara Batschke; 1/9/25 ... “Honestly, I am dying,” said the former leader, who governed the small South American nation of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015. The article noted that he had tears in his eyes. “What I ask is that they leave me alone. Don’t ask me for more interviews or anything else,” he said. “My cycle is over.” ... In the interview with Busqueda, Mujica said his autoimmune disease, severe kidney disease and other underlying medical problems led to his decision not to pursue treatment after medical tests showed his cancer had returned and metastasized. “I’m an old man, and because I have two chronic illnesses my body cannot handle it,” he said. ... Mujica told Busqueda that he would devote his “final stage” of life to his farm on the outskirts of Montevideo, the capital, where he has grown chrysanthemums with his wife for decades.Editor's note: Whatever one's political stances, may we see and hear the unifying, universal inevitabilities of facing dying and death.

My husband almost died. When I asked his doctor for help, I was appalled by the insensitive response. HuffPost; by Carrie Severson; 1/13/25 ... The physician’s assistant came in and looked at Gavin [the author's husband]. As soon as she took her seat, I told her I wanted to schedule him for a feeding tube, expecting her complete understanding and compassion. Instead, she laughed. “I recommended a consult for a feeding tube last week, and you declined it,” she said sharply. “Now I have to start over from scratch and reach back out to the GI team to see how we can get him in.” My mouth dropped open. I stared at her, bewildered. “I wasn’t ready last week. I’m ready now,” Gavin mumbled, barely audible. “What did he say?” the physician’s assistant snarled. I very calmly repeated what Gavin said, my heart breaking for him and rage racing through my body. “Well, you certainly have made my job harder. And now I’ll have to see what I can do for you. You’ll hear from me about your next steps, and you better follow them. It might be too late because of your attitude,” she barked. I leaned in, looked at her straight on, meeting her nasty tone, and said, “No. Your attitude has made this harder. And it’s very much not appreciated right now. He’s in pain, and your job is to help us. In fact, you took an oath to do no harm, and what you’re doing in this room is harmful.” ...

ECHO report exposes deadly toll of homelessness in Austin CBS Austin, TX; by Abigail Velez; 1/10/25 A report released this week by Austin's Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (Austin ECHO) revealed the human cost of the city's growing homelessness crisis. The report, analyzing six years of data, found that a staggering 1,010 unhoused individuals died in Austin between 2018 and 2023. Their average age of death: is just 50 years old, a full 20 years younger than their housed counterparts. ... The report offered a number of concrete recommendations, including: ... Develop a medical triage team to connect vulnerable individuals with appropriate care, including respite care, long-term care, substance use treatment, and hospice.

Building a smarter long-term care system in New York The National Law Review; by Adam Herbst of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP - Healthcare Law Blog; 1/10/25 New York State has a long-standing commitment to supporting its most vulnerable populations through Medicaid-funded services for older adults and those requiring long-term care. However, rising costs and an increasingly complex healthcare landscape have created challenges that demand innovative solutions.  ... The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) offers a clear path forward. This model has consistently demonstrated its ability to reduce healthcare costs while enhancing patient outcomes by integrating medical, social, and behavioral health services under one umbrella. ... Despite these clear benefits, New York has not approved a new PACE program since 2011, leaving this proven model underutilized in the state.

St. Croix Hospice to acquire Mayo Clinic Health System hospice operations in Southwest Minnesota PR Newswire, Oakdale, MN; by St. Croix Hospice and Mayo Clinic Health System; 1/13/25 St. Croix Hospice and Mayo Clinic Health System have entered into a definitive agreement for St. Croix Hospice to acquire Mayo Clinic Health System's hospice operations in Southwest Minnesota. The agreement remains subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025. ... "With more than 75 locations across the Midwest staffed by local care teams, St. Croix Hospice has been proudly providing hospice care for Mayo Clinic Health System patients throughout the Midwest for many years," says St. Croix Hospice Chief Clinical Officer Mandy Cogswell. ... "This marks the second recent transaction where St. Croix Hospice has acquired a health-system based hospice program, including a fourth quarter 2024 purchase in Iowa and Nebraska," said St. Croix Hospice CEO Heath Bartness.

Caregiver confessions: ‘How much more can we take?’ New York Magazine - The Cut - Family; as told to Paula Aceves and David mack; 1/13/25 Eleven people who care for aging and sick relatives share their fears, resentments, and guilt. “Where did those ten years ago?”: the daughter struggling to make ends meet while caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s. I never left home, like a good Cuban. My dad died when I was 9, and my mom never remarried, so I always felt a responsibility for her as her only child, especially since I’m not married and don’t have children of my own. [Click on the title's link to read this and other caregiver stories.]

Prospect Home Health and Hospice, LLC bankruptcy filing BankruptcyObserver.com; Case Number 25-80011; 1/13/25 The bankruptcy petition for Prospect Home Health and Hospice, LLC [Northern District of Texas bankruptcy cour] showed assets in the range of more than $1B with liabilities in the range of more than $1B. Prospect Home Health and Hospice, LLC reports that the number of creditors is in the range of more than 100,000.

[UK] Volunteers collecting Christmas trees for charityBBC News, West of England; by Harcombe; 1/10/25Volunteers are collecting thousands of Christmas trees to raise money for a hospice. The team from Dorothy House Hospice offers the collection service across Somerset and Wiltshire and will be collecting trees from doorsteps until Sunday. Since the service was launched eight years ago, they have raised £370,000 for the hospice, raising more than £118,000 so far this year. Dan Varley, from the hospice's fundraising team, said: "We do it as a way to support the community, but also to raise funds for the hospice which is so, so vital for us." 

Doctors, nurses press ahead as wildfires strain L.A.’s healthcare Los Angeles Times, produced by KFF Health News; by Emily Alpert Reyes, Bernard J. Wolfson and Molly Castle Work; 1/10/25 The rapidly spreading wildfires are not only upending the lives of tens of thousands of Los Angeles County residents and business owners, but also stressing the region’s hospitals, health clinics, first responders and nursing homes. ... Amid the maelstrom, doctors, nurses and other caregivers did their jobs. ... “All hospitals in close proximity to the fires remain on high alert and are prepared to evacuate if conditions worsen,” the Hospital Assn. of Southern California said in a statement. “The fires are creating significant operational hurdles,” the association added. ... [From a nurse,] "In times like this, this is when community si the most powerful."

Lamar Area Hospice receives donation from proceeds of Backyard Bash, Angel Open The Prowers Journal, Lamar, CO; by Barbara Crimond; 1/11/25 The Lamar Area Hospice was recently the recipient of a very generous donation.  Presenting a check for $75,000 was Rose Ann Yates of the Lamar Hospice Foundation’s fundraising committee. ... The donation was made possible from the committee’s two large fundraisers held each year – the Backyard Bash and the Angel Open golf tournament. ... Pelley says the group is blessed this year to have 35 corporate sponsors.  She still marvels at the generosity of a community our size and the hard work the volunteers and fundraising committee members do.  She calls it a “community effort” and said the diversity of the fundraisers appeals to a broad range of people. 

How to help people impacted by the California firesNBC News - Today Show; by Becca Wood; 1/8/24, updated 1/12/24